Newcastle disease warning

 CHIEF veterinarian Dr Nime Kapo of the National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA) yesterday warned of a serious situation along the PNG-Indonesia border following the detection of Newcastle disease among village chickens in Wutung, West Sepik.

He warned that various diseases could be brought in by pigs, deer, and other animals from the Indonesian side of the border.

Speaking to The National from Vanimo, Kapo confirmed the presence of the disease after a full-page advertisement in this paper yesterday by Agriculture and Livestock Minister Tommy Tomscoll.

Newcastle disease is generally considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the most-serious disease affecting poultry and birds worldwide, but does not affect humans and other mammals.

“It is confirmed at Wutung village, just next to the border post,” Kapo said.

“It’s a very-contagious virus, which can spread very quickly among chickens. It can wipe out small to medium holder food security for those who raise chickens.

“There are very serious socio-economic effects.

“We had the same disease in Rabaul in 2010 which we eradicated, and hopefully, we can do the same for this infestation here.”

Kapo said blood and tissue sample sfrom village chickens were recently sent to Australia for laboratory testing and found to contain the Newcastle disease virus.

“They analysed the virus,” he said.

“It showed a very close relationship to the Newcastle virus in Indonesia.

“There are a lot of ways that it can be brought in.

“It can be through infected live chickens, infected eggs, and wild birds.

“Wutung is very close to the border.

“We detected the virus in four birds that were reported to be sick and dizzy.

“We are treating Wutung as a high risk area and stopping movement of live birds in and out of the area.

“There are some very-serious trans-boundary diseases of pigs, deer, and other animals, generally.

“Newcastle disease is just one of these.

“We have to try and eradicate this disease before it spreads.”

Asked how his team was containing the disease, Kapo said: ‘‘We are manning the exit points in and out of Vanimo through air, sea, and road since April 14.

“We also have to depopulate the infected chickens.

“My team has been here since April 14.”

Kapo said support from the West Sepik provincial administration, other government agencies, and business houses in the province had been overwhelming.