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U.S. Department of Agriculture Bird Flu Program
Challenge
Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) - a
contagious and fatal viral disease affecting all species of
birds - is a zoonotic agent which can infect both animals
and humans In October 2002, END struck 17 counties across
California , Texas , New Mexico , Nevada and Arizona ,
resulting in destruction of approximately 4 million birds
and over $80M spent to date.
Solutions
DRC has supported USDA's eradication
efforts by supplementing government personnel with over 200
highly trained and experienced Supervisory Veterinarians,
Veterinarian Medical Officers, Epidemiologists, Animal
Health Technicians, Program Specialists, etc. DRC teams
inspect and examine birds and poultry for evidence of
persistent or recurrent disease conditions and for the
probable causes and effects.
Our personnel test and vaccinate against
diseases, and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers
on production, feeding, and housing issues. We help ensure
that the proper euthanization of birds and poultry and apply
recognized procedures in diagnosing foreign animal diseases.
We also supervise Animal Health Technicians and others in
depopulation, cleaning and disinfection (C&D).
Our team of leading experts in the field
of veterinary medicine provided ongoing executive advisory
services to USDA senior management during the outbreak
Benefits/Achievements
DRC provided critical support to the
USDA's END eradication team, helping to prevent spread of
the END outbreak and protect public health and agricultural
production.
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