ProMed Mail reported on an outbreak of velogenic Newcastle disease (END) caused by paramyxovirus type-1 in a farm located in Bialystok County, Podlaskie Province, diagnosed on July 8th. The flock comprised 43,410 birds (type not specified).
Subsequently three additional cases were identified over the period July 11th to 20th with a total of 75,000 birds depopulated. Farms were located in close proximity to the index case near the villages of Topielec, Bohdan and Bojury.
There have been no cases of END in Poland since 1974. This cluster is attributed to either failure to adequately immunize flocks or administration of impotent vaccine. Obviously investigations will determine why flocks were susceptible.
As a result of the required report of cases of END to the World Organization of Animal Health, Ukraine suspended importation of day-old chicks from Poland. This is an unnecessary reaction since the infection is prevented worldwide by administration of live attenuated, HVT-vectored and inactivated emulsion vaccines and represents an overreaction to a controllable situation unless the affected farms were hatchery supply flocks.