The 2002–2003 Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) outbreak in Southern California poultry provided an opportunity to evaluate environmental air sampling as an efficient and cost-effective means of sampling flocks for detection of a circulating virus. Exotic Newcastle Disease virus was detected by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR from air samples collected using a wetted-wall cyclone-style air sampler placed within 2 m of birds in 2 commercial flocks suspected of being naturally exposed to END virus during the outbreak. Exotic Newcastle Disease virus was detected after 2 hours of air sampling the poultry-house environments of the 2 naturally infected flocks.
AlonzoTAPepeMSMoskowitzCS: 2002, Sample size calculations for comparative studies of medical tests for detecting presence of disease. Stat Med21:835–852.
2.
CanonRMRoeRT: 1982, Livestock disease surveys: a field manual for veterinarians. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia.
3.
CreelanJLGrahamDAMcCulloughSJ: 2002, Detection and differentiation of pathogenicity of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 from field cases using one-step reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Avian Pathol31:493–499.
4.
CrossleyBMHietalaSKShihLM: 2005, High throughput real time RT PCR assay to detect the exotic Newcastle Disease Virus during the California 2002–2003 outbreak. J Vet Diagn Invest.17:124–132.
5.
DelayPDDeOmeKBBankowskiRA: 1948, Recovery of pneumoencephalitis (Newcastle) virus from the air of poultry houses containing infected birds. Science107:474–475.
