About 225 people jammed a Norco meeting hall Tuesday night, Feb. 5, to learn about a disease that has reached the town famous for its country, animal-keeping, lifestyle and poses a serious threat to the community’s chickens.
Since May, virulent Newcastle disease has spread to parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Already, 1 million birds have been euthanized across Southern California, including 900,000 in commercial poultry operations and 100,000 in backyard flocks, said Robyn Corcoran, a veterinarian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “There is no treatment for this virus,” Corcoran said. “And it is almost 100 percent fatal.” Read more