Mexico close to eradicating Newcastle Disease

Mexico’s food safety officials have announced that the country should soon be declared free of the highly virulent strain of Newcastle Disease, which affects poultry.

The National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) said that the disease had now been eradicated in Mexico City, the last federal district to free itself from the disease.

The region was declared Newcastle Disease-free in a declaration published by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) agreement.

It follows the implication of control measures and epidemiological surveys conducted in commercial and backyard poultry operations.

SENASICA said that a declaration stating that Mexico is Newcastle Disease-free would be issued shortly. It added that achieving Newcastle Disease-free status would strengthen the commercial position of Mexican poultry products on the world market.

Meanwhile, SENASICA also said a recent outbreak of the avian influenza AH7N3 virus had been contained in Guanajuato and Jalisco, and had not been detected in any other states. The disease was found amongst poultry on a total of 46 farms in the two states, with millions of birds vaccinated by health authorities.