Volume 26 , Issue 1 , June 2024 , Pages 58-77
Hiewa Othman Dyary 1 ; Rozita Saadi Husseiun 2
1 Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sulaimani, New Sulaimani, Street 27, Sulaymaniyah 46001, Iraq
2 College of Health and Medical Technologies, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Wrme Street 327/76, Qrga, Sulaymaniyah 46001, Iraq
Newcastle disease (ND) is a contagious disease caused by infection with the Newcastle
disease virus (NDV), a member of the genus Orthoavulavirus (family Paramyxoviridae).
Chickens are the primary infected species, although most domestic and wild birds are
susceptible. The disease is endemic in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and
South America, causing significant economic losses in the infected farms through
reduced egg production, reduced weight gain, and mortalities. The NDV genome is a
negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome of about 15,190 nucleotides and encodes
six structural and two nonstructural proteins. Velogenic NDVs are highly virulent and
may cause up to 90% mortalities, while mesogenic strains cause depression, weight loss,
reduced egg production, and mortalities around 10%. Infection mainly occurs through
inhaling or consuming virus aerosols or contaminated dust. ND is endemic in many parts
of Iraq and poses a significant threat to the poultry industry. Immunization is the most
common practice to protect chickens in endemic areas. Some compounds were reported
to have antiviral activities against the virus in embryonated chicken eggs; however, there
is no approved treatment for ND. This review discusses the etiology, epidemiology,
replication cycle, pathogenicity, economic impact, and diagnosis of ND, as well as the
prevention and control of the disease in poultry.