BRITISH VETERINARY POULTRY ASSOCIATION
Newcastle Disease in Pheasants - nr Guildford in Surrey, July 15th 2005
Information for Fancy Fowl (Chicken) Owners and their Veterinary Surgeons
This is the first outbreak in the UK since 1997. For the most up-to-date information on the outbreak please see the appropriate page on the Defra web site: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/newcastle/newcastled.htm.
At the time of writing, the outbreak appears to be restricted to a single site so the risk appears to be low. However careful attention to biosecurity remains vital. Suspicion of disease should be communicated in the normal way to DEFRA. Owners of small flocks of chickens may also wish to take measures to improve the immunity of their birds to this serious infection by vaccination. The information provided here is for general guidance and background information only. BVPA cannot provide advice as to whether or not a specific flock should be vaccinated as this will depend on the particular circumstances.
The key points to note....
1. Two applications of vaccine with an interval of 2 weeks is required to achieve full immunity.
2. Live modified vaccines are the easiest and safest to apply. For small groups of birds the simplest approach is to dissolve the freeze dried vaccine in an appropriate diluent (for eye-dropping or Intervet's Unisolve) - 1000 doses/ 30mls in an appropriate dropper. This is done by removing the cap of the vaccine bottle and transferring some of the diluent to it. Replace the cap and thoroughly mix the diluent and vaccine. Return the diluted vaccine to the dropper bottle. You will usually then have to place or replace the dropper nozzle on the bottle after doing this.
3. Pen the birds to be vaccinated in order to be sure that all birds in the group are vaccinated.
4. If necessary arrange for a helper to restrain the birds.
5. Tilt the head to one side and drop a single drop into the eye. Hold the head on its side for a few seconds until the bird blinks and distributes the vaccine over the eye. Excess vaccine should drain through the tear duct to the nasal cavity. If the vaccine runs directly down the face it will do no harm to place another drop on the uppermost nostril and wait for the bird to inhale.
6. Dispose of unused material by mixing with concentrated bleach.
7. Carefully wash your hands on completing the job. Make a record of the date on which the vaccine was applied, the name, batch number and expiry of the product.
Inactivated oil-based vaccines can improve and prolong the response to vaccination and are usually used in mature birds. However they do not produce much local immunity and they can be dangerous if accidentally injected into the human hand (see below) therefore are not recommended for small flock owners.
Vaccine may be obtained by your VS through wholesalers or veterinary pharmacies see Non-BVPA Links: Live vaccines are temperature sensitive products and should be stored in a refrigerator. Once reconstituted, they should be used within two hours
UK-Licensed Live Newcastle Vaccines (in alphabetical order).
Avinew (Merial)
Clone 30 Nobilis (Intervet)
Hitchner B1 Nobilis (Intervet)
Hitchner B1 Poulvac (Fort Dodge)
NDW Poulvac (Fort Dodge)
UK- Licensed Inactivated vaccines
Colombovac (Fort Dodge) - licensed for pigeons
Gallimune 302 ND+IB+EDS
Nobivac Paramyxovirus (Intervet) - licensed in pigeons
Nobilis ND+IB+ EDS
Potential for Adverse Reactions;
In the birds:
Live viral vaccines replicate in the tissues of the respiratory tract. It is common to see some nasal exudate ("snotty nose") or hear some sneezing noises ('snick') at 5-10 days after applying live ND vaccines in susceptible birds. This is normally self-limiting if the birds are in a satisfactory environment and well managed. Occasionally secondary infections require medication.
For People:
It is wise to handle live Newcastle Disease vaccine with disposable plastic gloves and take care not to touch your eyes or nose before washing your hands. This is because the vaccinal strain (and the disease strain)can cause mild conjunctivitis in people who have not got prior immunity to the virus.
Only administer oil-based inactivated vaccines to poultry if you are trained in the procedure, have the bird apprpriately restrained and have appropriate equipment. This is because accidental administration of even very small volumes of these products into the human finger can cause serious adverse reactions.
For reporting Adverse Reactions see http://www.vmd.gov.uk/
July 20th 2005
Page prepared on behalf of BVPA by:
Paul McMullin MVB DPMP MSc MRCVS
Senior Veterinarian, Poultry Health Services