Newcastle Disease In Austria
AUSTRIA - A report (via OIE) on the Newcastle Disease in Austria.
14 November 2003
3 minute read
Emergency report
Information received on 7 November 2003 from Prof. Dr Peter Weber, Chief Veterinary Officer, Federal Ministry for Social Security and Generations, Vienna:
Date of the report: 7 November 2003.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory.
Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 27 September 2003.
Estimated date of first infection: 20 September 2003.
Outbreaks:
| Location | No. of outbreaks |
| Sankt Pölten, province of Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) | 1 |
| Waidhofen an der Thaya, province of Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) | 1 |
Description of affected population:
- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: hobby flock of 200 homing pigeons.
- Outbreak in Waidhofen an der Thaya: hobby flock of 38 pigeons.
Total number of animals in the outbreaks:
| species | susceptible | cases | deaths | destroyed | slaughtered |
| avi | 238 | #18 | 18 | 31 | 0 |
Diagnosis:
A. Laboratory where diagnosis was made: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Control(1), Mödling.
B. Diagnostic tests used: virus isolation; haemagglutination inhibition test.
C. Causal agent: pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1).
- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: intracerebral pathogenicity index=1.12.
- Outbreak in Waidhofen an der Thaya: intracerebral pathogenicity index=1.05.
Epidemiology:
A. Source of agent / origin of infection: contact with wild pigeons. The owner of the affected flock in Sankt Pölten reported that a young pigeon strayed into his flock on 20 September 2003 and died on 27 September.
B. Mode of spread: under investigation.
Control measures:
- Outbreak in Sankt Pölten: 60-day ban on the flock, cleaning and disinfection in accordance with BGBl II No. 1995/466(2).
- Outbreak of Waidhofen: ban, killing and destruction of the flock, cleaning and disinfection in accordance with BGBl II No. 1995/466.
(1) Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit
(2) BGBl.: Bundesgesetzblatt für die Republik Österreich
Source: Office International des Epizooties - 14th November 2003
