Abstract
WASHINGTON, Feb., 18-"It seems obvious that there are many birds of the parrot family in Mexico infected with the exotic Newcastle disease. It also is obvious that there are people on both sides of the border willing to threaten our healthy poultry and exotic bird industries by smuggling these birds into the United States."
That's the opinion of Dr. Bill Buisch, the U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian whose job is to track down and eliminate any outbreaks of this devastating foreign disease of poultry and other birds.
Earlier this year, birds smuggled from Mexico brought exotic Newcastle disease into Florida and Colorado, Buisch said.
"And more recently," he said, "inspectors with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have identified
two more instances where the disease was brought into the United Stares with smuggled birds.
''The first case involved a 'sniffer' dog called into action when a nervousappearing driver was stopped for inspection while crossing the border at San Ysidro, Calif.," Buisch said. "The dog called attention to the car's trunk. When opened it showed a normal-appearing spare tire.
"But when the tire was turned over, inspectors found the bottom side had been cut away and ten yellow-headed Amazon parrots were hidden inside. USDA veterinarians found these birds were infected with exotic Newcastle disease when swabs were examined at USDA 's National Veterinary Services Laboratory at Ames, Iowa."
The second case also happened on the Mexico-California border. U.S. agents spotted and chased several men trying to enter the country illegally. The fleeing men dropped burlap bags that contained 30 yellow-headed Amazon parrots. These birds were placed in quarantine at San Ysidro and several died before the "positive" diagnosis came back from the lab.
"In addition, there was a third case that involved a Michigan couple who bought a pair of yellow-headed Amazon parrots while they were on vaction in Monterey, Mexico," Buisch said. "They also got instructions on how to smuggle the birds back into the United States.
"They succeeded, but the birds got sick soon after the couple returned home. A local veterinarian submitted specimens ro the USDA laboratory in Ames. The specimens are presently being tested for exotic Newcastle disease,'' he said.
''I doubt if people are going to stop trving to smuggle parrots into the country," Buisch said. "Therefore, we urge all bird owners-or prospective owners-to avoid so-called 'bargains' and thus help eliminate the chances of bringing the disease into their own flocks or aviaries."
Buisch said there are different forms of Newcastle disease-ranging from mild domestic strains to the highly virulent exotic or foreign strains.
Exotic Newcastle disease does not pose a health hazard to people who eat eggs or poultry products. However, Buisch said, some people who have handled infected birds have developed mild eye infections as a result of the exposure.