Thai agriculture officials are preparing updated information about Newcastle disease in Thai poultry for the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), reports Bangkok Post.

Inspectors from the OIE certified the local poultry industry free of the disease this year. However, recent news reports of diseases with similar symptoms to Newcastle disease have worried the OIE, said an official in the Livestock and Development Department.

"Our inspection found some chickens suffered from bronchitis but that might not be because of Newcastle," he said.

The disease is now contained but farmers are urged to vaccinate chicks at one to seven days of age, 21 days and every three months.

"Vaccination is still crucial if we want to stop notorious diseases such as rabies and Newcastle," he added.

A continuity vaccination at about two years is an option, and the OIE could clear the country of the diseases if there was no detection for five years.

Thailand has found no cases of avian flu for two years. It crippled the local poultry industry in 2004.

Further Reading

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Find out more information on Newcastle disease by clicking here.