Mustafasekin Sandikli, Global Director of Poultry Marketing at Ceva Animal Health, discusses how the poultry industry can tackle Newcastle disease and maintain sustained resilience.
Newcastle disease poses a serious and continuing threat to poultry production around the world, causing significant losses in flock health, productivity and profitability, devastating both commercial and small-scale farms, and disrupting supply chains and international trade. Understanding the production impact and economic impact of this disease on poultry producers is critical to developing effective control measures and securing the future of the industry.
What is Newcastle disease?
Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease, and symptoms vary widely in type and severity. It is caused by a virulent strain of avian paramyxovirus-1 (APMV-1) and causes severe respiratory, neurological, or gastrointestinal disease and high mortality in poultry. This is one of the main barriers to international trade in poultry and poultry products, and its economic impact is significant.
How does Newcastle disease affect production?
Despite decades of advances in diagnostics, vaccination, and biosecurity, ND continues to cause significant economic losses, disrupt trade, and threaten food security in both developing and highly industrialized poultry systems. In areas where natural zoonotic diseases are endemic, mortality can reach up to 100% and usually occurs between 21 and 28 days of age. Economic losses also include performance losses due to large-scale vaccination programs, monitoring tests, post-vaccination reactions, and subsequent expenditures on adjuvant drugs.
In fact, this severe economic impact is due not only to direct losses on the farm, but also to the intangible costs associated with the shortage of birds at the slaughterhouse and the subsequent cancellation of contracts with customers, damaging the company’s image and profits. Even in countries where the disease is free, the post-vaccination reaction caused by live attenuated ND vaccines reduces herd performance.
As a result, if the poultry industry wants to actually control this disease, better solutions are needed, both in terms of implementation of biosecurity procedures and the availability of more effective vaccine solutions.
Newcastle disease control
Preventing death has long been the main goal of ND vaccination programs. This remains essential, but modern poultry systems demand even more. High stocking densities, rapid bird movements, and global trade links make control of viral infections a real criterion for success.
Effective prevention of Newcastle disease now goes beyond simply keeping birds alive. It is about breaking the transmission cycle within the herd by reducing viral shedding, enhancing early immunity and ensuring consistent vaccination from day one.
Recent advances in vaccine technology, particularly recombinant vector vaccines using turkey herpesvirus (HVT) as a carrier, have revolutionized the prevention of Newcastle disease. Unlike traditional live vaccines, which can be affected by maternal antibodies and non-uniform dosing, vector vaccines provide consistent early active immunity, even in day-old chicks, by expressing key ND virus antigens in a controlled manner. This early initiation of protection is essential in hyperbaric environments, reducing the vulnerable period during which virus circulation and thus transmission is highest.
Vector vaccines are distinguished by the fact that they not only prevent the symptoms of the disease, but also significantly suppress viral shedding, especially from the oronasal and cloacal routes. Since cloacal shedding contributes significantly to environmental pollution, reducing it breaks the chain of infection at the population level and achieves measurable and sustainable control, not just individual survival. This early strong immunity limits the spread of the virus, protects herd health, and stabilizes production.
Additionally, the accuracy of vaccination at the hatchery and continuous monitoring using tools such as qPCR ensures that every chick receives the correct dose, allowing for rapid validation of vaccine success. By focusing on infection control, not just survival, poultry producers can minimize outbreak risk, support sustainable production and future-proof their operations against Newcastle disease in an interconnected world.
By shifting the focus from survival alone to comprehensive infection control underpinned by deliberate vaccine design and meticulous implementation, poultry producers can protect flock health, stabilize production and secure the future of poultry farming from Newcastle disease in an increasingly connected world.
Newcastle disease control: a journey, not a destination
Despite significant advances in technology, Newcastle disease continues to pose a threat to poultry production worldwide, even in regions with strong infrastructure and extensive experience. Wild animal holdings, non-commercial herds, and occasional biosecurity lapses constantly increase the risk of outbreaks.
In this context, ND prevention is only one part of a larger puzzle. Controlling Newcastle disease requires a multifaceted approach that combines stringent biosecurity measures, effective vaccination strategies, and continued vigilance. Although the impact has been significantly reduced in some regions, many parts of the world still face a continuing burden of the disease.
After a century of fighting ND, one truth has become clear. This means that the disease is never completely controlled. This is an ongoing and dynamic challenge shaped by the evolution of viruses, the realities of modern poultry production, and ongoing scientific innovation. Only through sustained vigilance and active preparedness, rather than the status quo, can the poultry industry transform knowledge into lasting resilience against Newcastle disease.
Please note that this article will also be published in an upcoming Animal Health Special Focus publication.
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