NSW: Native birds, backyard poultry checked for disease

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-1999
NSW: Native birds, backyard poultry checked for disease

SYDNEY, April 19 AAP - Native birds and backyard poultry flocks were being tested for
Newcastle disease following an outbreak on the New South Wales central coast, the NSW Farmers'
Association said today.

The gassing of about 280,000 chickens on three farms in the Mangrove Mountain area was
continuing today.

It follows the destruction of 75,000 chickens on another farm in the area where the
disease, deadly to poultry but harmless to humans, took hold about two weeks ago.

NSW Farmers' poultry meat group director Jo Sallince said blood testing of poultry on at
least 10 other commercial farms in a three-kilometre control zone around the outbreak was
being carried out.

In addition, native birds and poultry in backyard flocks and backyard aviaries were being
tested for infection, Dr Sallince said.

While native birds could contract the disease, animals and birds could not get into the
chicken sheds, she said.

"You do your surveillance but we would hope that the disease hasn't got into the native
bird population," she said.

"It's reasonably urgent work because you've got all these things happening simultaneously,"
she said of the work being done by about 200 workers in the area since detection of the
outbreak on Friday.

If no new area of infection was found, it was likely to take about three months before the
area was cleared of the disease, she said.

AAP dep/tsm/kr

KEYWORD: NEWCASTLE (CARRIED EARLIER)

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