ALERT !!!! - This topic is important

This is copied from another site -------

Alert: Exotic Newcastle Disease In Mexico

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Just want to share what I got from the mail yesterday......

To all members of the 395 Concourse,

I just received extremily urget news from our AU representative, this was forwarded to him from the AU home office. Forward this information to all of your membership ASAP so they are aware of the situation. Lets hope the task force does not determine that the outbreak is headed north from Mexico into the USA.

The following information was just released on the California Food and Agriculture website:


ALERT: EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE IN MEXICO
Mexico recently reported a case of Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The affected flock located just south of the U.S. border in Tijuana was depopulated. USDA is interacting with Mexico to further assess the current situation. The OIE report is on http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?...reportid=10244.

END is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of birds. Considered one of the most infectious diseases of poultry in the world, END is so virulent a death rate of almost 100 percent can occur and many birds die without showing any clinical signs. As END remains endemic (native to or prevalent) in Mexico, this case finding in Mexico and OIE report serve as a good reminder that foreign animal diseases, such as END or Avian Influenza, may be introduced into California at any time. Use of biosecurity practices is important to protect your birds from exposure to diseases.

To report sick birds, call the toll free State Bird Hotline: 866-922-2473.

Veterinarians and bird owners are encouraged to immediately submit sick birds to the California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System for diagnosis to assist us with rapid surveillance for foreign animal diseases. Poultry from small flock and backyard owners may be submitted to CAHFS at no charge. Early reporting and submitting of sick birds to the laboratory will assist in early diagnosis and help prevent a major END outbreak such as that experienced in 2002-03.

For additional information on END, please go to the USDA website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_hea...osecurity/end/

For additional information on laboratory submissions please go to the CAHFS website at http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/

Contact information for all of our laboratories may be found at http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/contact/index.cfm. Please contact us at any time for additional information.

Historical review of 2002-2003 outbreak:

The 2002-03 END outbreak, originally confirmed in backyard poultry in the Good Hope Area of Southern California, spread to commercial poultry operations in California and backyard poultry in Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The Governor of California declared a State of Emergency, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared an Extraordinary Emergency, and local emergencies were declared in San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. A USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Task Force was formed that involved over 7,000 individuals rotating in and out over the course of the outbreak. Trade restrictions resulting from the disease had negative impacts on California and U.S. poultry and egg producers. The outbreak, from discovery to eradication, lasted eleven months. The outbreak response led to the depopulation of 3.16 million birds at a cost of $161 million.

At that time the 395 Concourse was severly affected by the END outbreak. Initially all racing was completely stopped, eventually we were allowed to sign wavers (allowing the State task force onto our property) and were allowed to race within the quarantine area only. Several members had their entire flocks decimated by this outbreak.

Watch your biosecurity and don't allow unknown birds into your lofts and for heavens sake don't allow the mixing of any type of chickens on the same property as your racing pigeons, until the outbreak is confirmed as being isolated only to Mexico.

Ron Whitmer
395 Concourse President

Louise...this is really, really bad. I appreciate you letting us know.

Charis................I am really scared by this. The previous outbreak traveled all through Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Hope they have caught it in time.

Louise

I know, Louise and it scares me too.

Jackie\'s Mom wrote:

Charis................I am really scared by this.

The previous outbreak traveled all through Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Hope they have caught it in time.
Louise

I remember that outbreak well.
I hope like the devil there isn't a reply. THAT was absolutely horrific.

Poor birds! Hope it can be contained and a cure found.

Unfortunately...the cure is a massive cull.

Matilda wrote:

Unfortunately...the cure is a massive cull.

This is true. However . . .
With regard to the CA incident, the manner in which many of the people, and their precious birds, were treated was criminal.

I would hate for a repeat of that to happen.

[/quote]
I remember that outbreak well.
I hope like the devil there isn't a reply. THAT was absolutely horrific.

I remember it as well Cindy..........It was HORRIFIC --- It wasn't just Ca. it was awful here in Nevada

Here are some of the unbelievable stories:

Duncan's Birds Die for NOTHING!
Woman's Pet Birds Eradicated
Pet Owners Protest
Carcasses left uncovered in Rialto Landfill - Updated Jan 31, 2003
Tested and Negative Cockatiel Killed by CDFA
Links to Horror Stories




Duncan's Birds Die for NOTHING!
From the Las Vegas Sun, NV
Published February 05, 2003


Necropsies recently conducted on 60 birds from that area -- owned by Jill Duncan, the most vocal critic of the eradication process -- found no signs of disease.

Duncan contended that all of the birds should have been tested first in order to spare healthy ones, but authorities obtained a court order to euthanize her birds Saturday.

Thain said the 215 federal and state agents who are conducting the eradication process have no choice but to destroy all birds -- healthy or otherwise -- in the infected area.

"We had to look at the one-kilometer area around the (original infected) site to address all potential exposure," Thain said. "In that process, normal, healthy birds are destroyed to ensure that the disease does not get out of the area, so we can save the larger population of healthy birds."

NOTE: A depopulated neighbor of Duncan's had an indoor parrot which was not killed. Using the presumption made by Thain, this makes no sense whatsoever. This is hypocracy and spin-doctoring at its worst.

To have denied Duncan any testing before slaughtering her birds, some of which she had owned and loved for over 20 years, is absolutely unconscionable.

If we find a person with Small Pox, do we just kill all those around them in a one kilometer area, whether they are sick or not so that we can save the larger population of healthy people?

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mohandas Ghandhi (1869-1948)

The combined forces of the USDA and the State of Nevada show this nation to be sadly lacking in both of these attributes.

Please READ this - (LINK)
See Original Information on Duncan BELOW

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Woman's Pet Birds Eradicated
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV
Published February 03, 2003


Trying to thwart a potential poultry crisis, USDA workers arrived at Duncan's home on Saturday afternoon with a court order and fatally gassed 64 of her domesticated chickens, ducks and geese, she said.

Duncan said none of her animals appeared to be sick. She said the agency declined to test the animals for the disease because it would have been too costly. She was the only one of 82 owners to challenge USDA officials to get a court order for their mission.

On Saturday, she sat by and watched her pets die.

Please READ this - (LINK)
See Prior Media Stories on Jill Duncan, some with pictures - Go to (Link) and Search for duncan to find them.


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Pet Owners Protest Tactics used in END Battle
From the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, CA
Published January 28, 2003


"Part of the problem is that they do not have to be infected for us to euthanize them" says Rico!
Bird are screaming while being killed due to the HORRIBLE and painful death using CO2.
Please READ this - (LINK)
See Further Info on this in Links to Horror Stories Below (Link)


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Dead Carcasses Strewn on the Ground
From the Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino, CA Edition
Published January 18, 2003


State Officials, Specialist Decry Disposal of Poultry - Carcasses Strewn on the Ground! Burial conducted in flagrant violation of Federal Regulations!
Please READ this - (LINK)
CDFA Response in the Press-Enterprise of Jan 22, 2003 at same link.
Another follow up story of Jan 31, 2003 at same link.

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Negative Cockatiel KILLED by CDFA
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Published December 30, 2002



Officials showed up and killed a pet cockatiel who had tested negative for END.
Please READ this - (LINK)

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Pet Birds Killed with NO TESTING and NO KILL Order
New Link on this Site
Web Page Published December 26, 2002



Officials showed up and killed pet birds with no kill warrant. This must be read. The story is in two parts:
Newcastle News - (LINK)
Newcastle Update - (LINK)

This is indeed is not only a fightening disease but how the goverment can walk on to ones property & decide the fate of all the birds that live their and it usually happens so fast that one can't even fight them.

Since this disease can be carried by any birds, wild or domestic, how can a person protect their flock?

Our sanctuary is a closed facility & we quarentine & observed for at least 60 days ANY animal that comes on the property, but I still feel this isn't enough.

Here are some staggering numbers.

USDA APHIS reports:
3,923,678 birds have been put to death in CA
269 in AZ
2,746 in NV
1,871 in TX

Number of positive premises
920 CA
1 AZ
10 NV
1 TX

Total premises quarantined:
18,427 (7,083 released) in CA
67 (67 released) AZ
155 (155 released) NV
497 (473 released) TX

Total premises depopulated:
2,514 CA
6 AZ
147 NV
41 TX

Total commercial flocks affected by END - 22 flocks:
4 premises in Riverside County (3 infected and 1 contact)
7 premises in San Diego County (7 infected).
11 premises in San Bernardino County (11 infected).
Arizona and Nevada are completed operations and theirs are final numbers
http://www.birdsnways.com/newcastle/

According to the above stats, there were NO commericial flocks involved in Arizona, Nevada or Texas
.
That tells me every bird killed in AZ, NV and TX was from a residence. I would venture to guess they were all needlessly killed.

IMO this incident was a complete overkill and nothing short of abuse of power.
People need to be as scared of the officials as the illness. Again, JMO.

I agree with you 100% Cindy Big Government is a total abuse of power.

The memory of the past events are still so clear in my mind............Every night on the news there was another bird owner in tears.......totally devastated by the loss of their birds.......they watched their birds be killed and die.........there was no testing........there was no appeal......it went on for months..........animal cruelty taken to new heights by our own government. It should be of no surprise to anyone........just think of the recent events of the poisioning by the government of all the blackbirds.

The disease scares me, but what the government might do in response to it frightens me much more

Louise

Jackie\'s Mom wrote:

The disease scares me, but what the government might do in response to it frightens me much more

Louise

Me too Louise! I'm really worried for you all that live in states close to Mexico.

Jackie\'s Mom wrote:

I agree with you 100% Cindy
* Big Government is a total abuse of power.

** The memory of the past events are still so clear in my mind............ Every night on the news there was another bird owner in tears.......totally devastated by the loss of their birds.......they watched their birds be killed and die.........there was no testing........there was no appeal......it went on for months..

........animal cruelty taken to new heights by our own government. It should be of no surprise to anyone........just think of the recent events of the poisioning by the government of all the blackbirds.

*** The disease scares me, but what the government might do in response to it frightens me much more

Louise

*

** I remember one specific incident where this elderly gentleman, who I believed lived alone, had some birds that had never left his house. Following the departure of his neice, the Task Force team knocked on his door. They handed him a 'court order' and said it was only to search inside and around his premises. SADLY, this gentleman took these people at their word and didn't read the order.

Once inside the house the task force team gathered up his beloved birds and killed them on the spot.

If I recall correctly, the court order read that the Task Force was authorized the check the house and surrounding premises, and were authorized to removed any birds.

I get a knot in the pit of my stomach every time I think of that poor man.

The story was told by his niece. I have been looking for the link to the story but have been unsuccessful in finding it.

*** I agree, Louise. And it isn't so much what the government might do, it's what they will do.

Good Lord! This is terrifying. Thanks for letting us know about it Louise.

Here is a copy of the official report that has been filed:

http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=10244

Over 10,000 birds have already been destroyed.

I pray that not even one case of this disease shows up on this side of the border.


Louise

Thanks Louise. How horrible! I hope it doesn't cross the border as well.

Jackie\'s Mom wrote:

Here is a copy of the official report that has been filed:

http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=10244

Over 10,000 birds have already been destroyed.

I pray that not even one case of this disease shows up on this side of the border.


Louise

That is sooo sad.

I'm sorry this has happened at all, but I totally agree with you, I hope it doesn't cross the border.
It couldn't have gotten any closer to southern CA.