What is new castle disease

Newcastle disease is a contagious viral infection causing a respiratory nervous disorder in several species of fowl including chickens and turkeys. Different types or strains of the virus have been recognized.

Newcastle disease is highly contagious. All birds in a flock usually become infected within three to four days.

Transmission

The virus can be transmitted by contaminated equipment, shoes, clothing and free-flying birds. During the active respiratory stage, it can be transmitted through the air. The virus is not thought to travel any great distance by this method. Recovered birds are not considered carriers and the virus usually does not live longer than thirty days on the premises.

Symptoms

Signs of Newcastle disease are not greatly different from those of other respiratory diseases. The signs most frequently observed are

• nasal discharge,
• excessive mucous in the trachea,
• cloudy air sacs,
• casts or plugs in the air passages of the lungs
• cloudiness in the cornea of the eye.

In young chickens Newcastle disease begins with:

• difficult breathing,
• gasping and sneezing.
• nervous symptoms after ten to fourteen days

If nervous disorders develop, they may consist of

• paralysis of one or both wings
• Paralpysis of legs
• twisting of the head and neck. The head often is drawn over the back or down between the legs.
• walking backwards

Mortality may vary from none to total loss of the flock.

In adult chickens, respiratory symptoms predominate. Only rarely do nervous disorders develop. If the flock is laying, egg production usually drops rapidly. When this occurs, it takes four weeks or longer for the flock to return to the former production rate. During the outbreak, small, soft-shelled, off-coloured and irregular-shaped eggs are produced. Mortality in adult birds is usually low but maybe fairly high from some virus strains.

In turkeys, the symptoms are usually mild and may be unnoticed unless nervous disorders develop. During an outbreak, turkeys will produce eggs with a chalky white shell. Reduced production in breeder flocks is the main economic loss from this disease in turkeys.

The flock history, signs of a respiratory nervous disorder and other typical lesions often may be sufficient to allow a tentative diagnosis. Usually, however, the disease cannot be differentiated from infectious bronchitis and some of the other respiratory infections, except by laboratory methods.

Prevention

Vaccination is practiced widely and is the recommended method for prevention. Several types of vaccines are available but the most successful and widely used is the mild live virus vaccine known as the B1 and La Sota types. The vaccines may be used by drops into the nostril or eye, in addition to the drinking water or applied in spray form.

Broiler chickens are usually vaccinated when seven to ten days of age. Chickens kept for egg production are usually vaccinated at least three times. The vaccine is given when birds are approximately seven days, again at about four weeks and a third time at about four months of age. Revaccination while in lay is commonly practised.

Vaccination is not widely used in turkeys. It is used to protect egg-producing breeder flocks. One dose of the mild type vaccine is given after selecting breeder birds.

Treatment

There is no treatment for Newcastle disease. The disease does not always respect even the best management programs, but good “biosecurity” practices will help reduce the possibility of exposure to the Newcastle disease virus.