Environmental air sampling to detect exotic Newcastle disease virus in two California commercial poultry flocks

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.