Chijioke Iremeka Animal health experts have revealed that annually, Nigeria loses N4.5 billion Newcastle disease due to a lack of adequate veterinary services. The President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr Moses Arokoyo, who made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that the disease is highly contagious in poultry birds and is caused by paramyxovirus.
According to the United Kingdom Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Newcastle disease is a highly infectious disease affecting poultry and other birds. It noted that the disease is caused by virulent strains of ND virus and can produce variable clinical signs in affected birds, causing high mortality, particularly in young birds. “The disease can present in acute form ranging to mild or subclinical disease.
The signs depend on which body system the strain of the virus predominantly affects (the respiratory, digestive, or nervous system) and can have a sudden onset and high mortality. “Signs include quietness, depression, drops in feed/water intake, and for birds laying eggs, a high proportion of eggs laid will have abnormal (soft) shells. “There may also be respiratory distress such as gasping, coughing, sneezing, gurgling and rattling, yellowish green diarrhoea or nervous signs such as tremors, incoordination, twisted necks, drooping wings and paralysis,” it added.
Arokoyo added that birds affected by this disease are mainly chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, pheasants, partridges.
