Poultry can move freely across the state again. With no new detections, CDFA announced Monday it was ending a quarantine for virulent Newcastle disease (VND) in Southern California.
“This is the day many of us have been looking to for over two years,” said State Veterinarian Annette Jones.
VND was first detected in May 2018 in Los Angeles County and eventually spread through backyards to commercial flocks. The disease poses no food safety concern, and no human cases have ever occurred from eating poultry products. A report in August 2019 found about 1.2 million birds were eradicated to prevent the spread of the disease.
Poultry entering California must still have a certificate of veterinary inspection demonstrating good health or a certificate from the National Poultry Improvement Program. CDFA will continue to monitor and test as needed. It is also working with USDA and backyard bird enthusiasts on monitoring and biosecurity training.
“We have eagerly anticipated this day and are extremely proud of the tireless work of the Virulent Newcastle Disease Task Force,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
