State Vet Warns On Chicken Illness

Wyoming’s State Veterinarian is urging close attention to poultry import requirements in light of virulent Newcastle disease case found in Utah. The disease was confirmed by the USDA in a small flock of backyard exhibition chickens located in Utah County, Utah on Friday. In response, Wyoming State Veterinarian, Dr. Jim Logan, is strongly reminding poultry owners, dealers, and exhibitors of the requirements relating to bring poultry and hatching eggs into the state. Additionally, poultry imported for resale or commercial egg or meat production must have a negative test result within 30 days prior to import unless they are from an NPIP clean flock. The Utah case is the first one of virulent Newcastle disease there and is believed to be connected to the current outbreak in California as three of the birds at the premises had been recently moved to Utah from Los Angeles County, California. Dr. Logan assures it is not a food safety concern as no human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products. In very rare instances, however people working directly with sick birds can become infected.

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