Nevada Department                                     

Of Agriculture

United States Department                                     

Of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service

Exotic Newcastle Disease 

Hotline: 702-515-5200

# Further Precautions

· Designate an “entry/exit” site to your bird property.

· Dedicate a set (or sets) of easily cleaned/laundered shoes/boots and clothing to use for bird activities.

· Have water, cleaning materials, disinfectant, and a place to hold clothing at the designated area.  

· The area can be as small as a plastic tub to hold disinfectant*,* shoes and a brush, and a hanger for clothes for one person, or a large area suitable for a number of visitors. 

· When entering the bird premises, or when going “off site” on bird activities, use the shoes and clothes**dedicated to that activity.  Do not allow your “off-site” clothes to contaminate your premises.

· If using a vehicle, cover its floorboards with a piece of light plastic and leave it in place until the end of the possible exposure period.  Consider plastic over the seats and outer door handles.

· On returning to your premises, wash your hands, clean the surface of your vehicle’s control pedals and handles, remove and discard the plastic covers.  Remove and clean your boots, especially the soles and disinfect.  Wash your hands, remove your dedicated bird clothing and place in a container for laundering.  Wash your hands, blow your nose, clean your ears, take a shower and put on clean clothes.

· Ensure that new feed containers are clean on the outside before brining them onto your property.

· Visitors should wear freshly laundered clothes, wash their hands on arrival, blow their nose and clean their ears, clean the soles of their shoes and apply disinfectant.  You may want to provide plastic over-boots and coveralls for visitors. 

· Consider a disinfectant footbath at your entry/exit point.

· Extra precautions, including shower-in/shower-out procedures are recommended for all visitors to commercial flocks.  

For more information on preventing disease 

in animals and using surface disinfectants, visit the USDA Web site at:

**http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/enc/exoticnc.html**

Information for Bird Owners

Biosecurity Guidelines

To Prevent Exotic Newcastle Disease

January  2003

Contaminated materials, as well as birds, can spread exotic Newcastle disease.  Using biosecurity will reduce the chances that you will accidentally bring infection to your birds.  You must avoid unnecessary contact with other people’s birds and clean and disinfect all items that may be contaminated.  Remove dirt and debris from objects by brushing, scrubbing, pressure spraying or other methods.  Thoroughly clean items before applying disinfectants - cleaning is essential so that disinfectants can work.  These procedures are not guaranteed to prevent this highly contagious virus from affecting your birds - but they will reduce the risk.  

Basic Precautions

Do not share birds, equipment or feed with other bird owners.

Take these precautions when returning to your birds after visiting places where disease may exist, including bird swap meets, flea markets, bird marts, bird shows, aviaries, feed stores, pet shops, neighbors, etc.  Remember:  Birds do not have to look sick to spread disease!

Wash your hands for 10-20 seconds.

Remove and thoroughly clean your shoes, paying particular attention to the soles.

Blow your nose and clean your ears with disposable tissues and discard the tissues.

Wash your hands again or shower.

Put on fresh clothes and launder those you were wearing as soon as possible.

Wash your hands again.

Minimize visitors to your premises.  Visitors should wash their hands on arrival.  If they have had any recent contact with birds, or have birds of their own, they should follow the above recommendations.  If your visitors have birds of their own, do not let them near your birds. 

If your birds are confined, keep visitors from gathering near your birds.  If necessary, move your birds to separate them from visitors.

END NV 2