Newcastle disease breaks out in Israeli poultry farm

Israeli veterinary authorities have sent an immediate notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of Newcastle disease on a commercial poultry farm.

The Israeli veterinary authority sent the immediate notification dated March 3 to OIE.

The report describes an outbreak of Newcastle disease in a flock of 100,000 birds at Ramot Hashavim, Petach-Tiqwa in Hamerkaz, near to Tel Aviv.

The report said that around 200 birds were affected and half of them died, and 10,000 birds were destroyed.

The notification explained that the flock is divided into two premises of 50,000 table egg layers each; one group with 58-week-olds and the second group with 45-week-olds.

Clinical signs and the post-mortem lesions were detected on one of the two premises -- that with the older flock.

Destruction of all the birds in the two premises has begun and will be terminated on March 6, 2009.

The last outbreak of the Newcastle disease in Israel was in June 2008.