Virus kills 173,000 chickens in Ilocos

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The Newcastle disease virus (NDV) did not strike commercial poultry farms in the Ilocos region, but it has killed at least 173,000 backyard chickens and gamecocks in three provinces there in the last two months, government veterinarians said on Monday.

Almost all of the 44 towns and four cities of Pangasinan reported fatalities, said Dr. Eric Perez, provincial veterinarian. The province posted the highest number of dead chickens in the region with 123,000, followed by La Union province, 27,000 and Ilocos Sur province, 23,000.

The NDV was first detected in provinces in Central Luzon after Typhoon “Nona” (international name: Melor) hit Luzon in December last year. It last struck the country 15 years ago.

Affliction results in high mortality and can wipe out a poultry farm in 24 hours. An infected fowl twists its head and neck, before becoming paralyzed and dropping dead within a day.

Exposure of humans to the fowl can cause mild conjunctivitis and influenza-like symptoms, but otherwise the virus poses no hazard to human health.

Dr. Constancia Diaz, chief of the Department of Agriculture regional animal disease diagnostic laboratory, said results of tests on blood samples showed the NDV had killed the chickens in Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Sur.

The disease spread in all of La Union’s 19 towns and San Fernando City, killing backyard chickens and game fowl. “About 20 percent of the dead chickens were gamecocks,” Dr. Nida Gapuz, provincial veterinarian, told the Inquirer by phone.

But Gapuz said her office had stopped receiving reports on fowl deaths two weeks ago, an indication that the NDV had been controlled in her province.

Perez said vaccination and information and education campaigns had also been stopped in Pangasinan. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon