The United States Department of Agriculture?s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard exhibition chickens in Utah County, Utah.
This is the first case of virulent Newcastle disease in Utah.
This case is believed to be connected to the current outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in California, as three of the birds at the premises were recently moved to Utah from Los Angeles County, California. Since May 2018, 299 cases of Newcastle disease have been confirmed in Southern California, primarily in backyard exhibition birds.
APHIS is working with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to respond to the finding. Federal and State partners are also conducting additional surveillance and testing in the area.
