Newcastle Disease, Norway , October 30, 2003

Impact Worksheet

Summary:

The Norwegian Royal Ministry of Agriculture on October 28, 2003 confirmed an outbreak of Newcastle disease in the Buskerud department.  The last reported outbreak of Newcastle disease in Norway was 1996.  Production of poultry and poultry products in Norway accounts for less than 0.1% of total world production.  Norway ’s exports of live poultry and poultry products in 2000 and 2001 did not account for a significant share of the world export market.  The US imported no live poultry or products of concern (poultry meat, eggs, feathers) from Norway in 2002 or through August 2003.  Two pet birds were imported into the US from Norway during January-August 2003.  All live poultry and other bird species imported into the US (except from Canada) are required to have a USDA issued import permit, a health certificate issued by a government veterinarian in the country of origin, and be quarantined for 30 days in a USDA animal import quarantine facility.  This includes pet birds as well as commercial birds.  During the quarantine period, the birds are tested for various infectious pathogens.  The US does not recognize Norway as free from exotic Newcastle disease.

How extensive is the Newcastle disease outbreak in Norway , and what was Norway ’s disease status prior to the outbreak?

The Norwegian Royal Ministry of Agriculture on October 28, 2003 reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease detected on October 3, 2003 on a premises in the Buskerud department (see map below). The affected flock contained 80 pigeons, 28 dwarf hens and 4 Muscovy ducks.  Of these 112 birds, there were 50 cases and 10 deaths.  Diagnostic tests have identified the agent as pigeon Paramyxovirus -1 subtype (PPMV-1) with an intracerebral pathogenicity index of 0.4.  To control the outbreak, the entire flock was destroyed and the carcasses buried.  The US did not recognize Norway as free of exotic Newcastle disease (END) prior to this outbreak.

A country neighboring Norway has also recently reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease associated with pigeon adapted paramyxovirus-1.  On October 24, 2003 the Chief Veterinary Officer for Sweden reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease in a hobby flock of 40 pigeons, 30 turkeys, 10 laying hens and 1 cock.  Of these 81 birds, there were 25 cases and 25 deaths with the remainder destroyed to control disease.  The affected flock was located in Dalarnas County, Sweden (see map below).  The last reported outbreak of Newcastle disease in Sweden was 2001.

Control measures in Sweden include stamping out and transport restrictions enforced in the area for live poultry, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, fresh poultry meat, table eggs, manure and litter.  The US recognizes Sweden as free of END, and since the outbreak is limited to a single hobby farm, there are no current plans to change Sweden’s status as END free.  The USDA is monitoring this outbreak, and if it should expand, other actions may be taken.  The US imported no live birds or poultry, or products of concern, from Sweden during January-August 2003.  Sweden does not export any poultry meat to the US because Sweden is not approved by the US Food Safety Inspection Service to ship poultry meat to the US . 

Source: OIE Disease Information Report

What is Norway ’s place in the international market for poultry and poultry products?

Norway maintained limited stocks of chickens in 2001 and 2002.  These chickens represented less than 0.02% of total world stocks. Stocks of other poultry were not available.  Norway ’s production of eggs and poultry meat represent about 0.6% of the world production.

Table 1: Poultry Stocks and Production, Norway , 2001 and 2002

Source: United Nations FAO

What is Norway ’s production and trade in poultry and poultry products?

Norway exported 64,000 live chickens in 2000; figures for 2001 were not available.  Norway also exported poultry products in both 2000 and 2001.  None of these poultry products accounted for a significant share of the world’s export market.

Table 2:  Exports of live poultry and poultry products,

Norway , 2000 - 2001

Exports	2000		2001		% of World in 2001
	Quantity (# head or mt)	Value (1000 $)	Quantity (# head or mt)	Value (1000 $)	Quantity (# head or mt)	Value (1000 $)
Chicken(1000hd)	64	128	*	*
Chicken Meat	41	140	2	4	<0.1%	<0.1%
Eggs Dry Whole Yolks Hen	211	503	169	407	0.5%	0.4%
Eggs in The Shell	463	269	3093	2086	0.3%	0.2%
Eggs Liquid, Dried	381	549	173	409	0.1%	0.1%
Eggs Liquid Hen	169	46	4	2	<0.1%	<0.1%
Lard, pig or poult rendered fat	2	5	1	2	<0.1%	<0.1%
Meat Canned Chicken	5	26	12	69	<0.1%	<0.1%
Turkey Meat	109	472	0	0

* Information not available at this time.

Source: United Nations FAO

What are the US imports of poultry or poultry products from Norway ?

The only live birds imported into the US from Norway from January-August 2003 were two pet birds.  These two birds were imported in July 2003.  All live poultry and other bird species imported into the US (except from Canada) are required to have a USDA issued import permit, a health certificate issued by a government veterinarian in the country of origin, and be quarantined for 30 days in a USDA animal import quarantine facility.  This includes pet birds as well as commercial birds.  During the quarantine period, the birds are tested for various infectious pathogens.

The US imported no products of concern (poultry meat, eggs, feathers) from Norway in 2002 or through August 2003.  Neither Mexico nor Canada imported any live birds, poultry or products of concern from Norway in 2002 or through August 2003.

The US imported no live birds or poultry, or products of concern, from Sweden during January-August 2003.

Source: World Trade Atlas, VS Import Database

What is the level of passenger traffic arriving in the United States from Norway ?

A total of 112,593 Norwegian residents arrived on flights to the US during 2002. As part of APHIS-PPQ’s agriculture quarantine inspection monitoring, 576 air passengers from Norway were sampled for items of agricultural interest in fiscal year 2002.  None of these passengers were found to be carrying restricted poultry products.

Source: APHIS-PPQ Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Database, ITA Office of Ttravel and Tourism Industries

CEI’s plans for follow up:

As of October 28, 2003, CEI will continue to monitor the situation, but has no plans at this time to issue additional reports.  If you need more information or if you want to comment on this worksheet, you may reply to this message, or contact Judy Akkina (970-494-7324) or Liz Williams (970-494-7329).