Around 18,000 hens at a laying hen facility in Ödeshög must be put down after Newcastle disease was confirmed at the facility. The Swedish Board of Agriculture has also decided to cordon off the farm and sanitize the buildings.
"This is the first case of Newcastle disease at a commercial facility this season. The risk of spreading both bird flu and Newcastle disease is higher during autumn and winter since the virus survives longer in the cold", says Ella Sigvardsson, infection control officer at the Swedish Board of Agriculture in a press release.
The decision to cordon off the farm means that no animals or animal products may leave the facility without the Swedish Board of Agriculture's permission.
Newcastle disease is a serious, contagious disease in birds, but it is not dangerous to humans.
