Newcastle Disease : Methods of Spread

Abstract

Over the sixty years that have passed since the recognition of Newcastle disease (ND) one of the most consistent and alarming characteristics has been the ability of the disease to appear suddenly in a poultry population and spread with singular rapidity. This property is so marked that many studies that have been undertaken during the history of ND have included evaluation of this aspect of the epizootiology of the disease even if not specifically aimed at achieving an understanding of the problem. As a consequence, most of the chapters in this book have touched on the epizootiology of ND. The nature of the disease, the pathogenicity and other properties of the virus, the hosts and their environment, the use and misuse of vaccines and the control policies imposed all have important bearings on the ability of NDV to establish infection and cause disease and the reader is referred to the relevant chapters for details. The object of the present chapter is to cover the transmission and spread of the disease and virus rather than every parameter associated with the epizootiology of ND.