Valencia, 9 March 2026 – The veterinary authorities of the Valencian Community have reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease on a laying hen farm located in the municipality of Terrateig, in the Vall d’Albaida region (province of Valencia).
nnnnThe farm is situated within the 10 km radius of previously detected outbreaks from last December, for which all measures had already been lifted in February. This is the sixth outbreak of Newcastle disease detected in Spain during the current season.
nnnnSuspicion of the disease arose from the detection of very low mortality in one of the 5 sheds on the farm (with a census of approximately 27,000 birds aged 23 weeks, the youngest on the farm), which was considered an independent epidemiological unit; eradication measures are therefore being applied exclusively to this shed. Samples taken by the Official Veterinary Services (OVS) of the Generalitat Valenciana were sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory of Algete, the National Reference Laboratory for Newcastle Disease in Spain, where the presence of a velogenic strain of the virus was confirmed by PCR.
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The OVS of Valencia have immediately implemented the following measures, as established in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687:
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- Immediate immobilisation of the affected farm from the moment of suspicion of the outbreak. nnnn
- Conduct of an epidemiological investigation to determine the possible source of infection and farms at risk due to movements of people and vehicles. nnnn
- A sanitary depopulation of the affected farm is under way, along with the destruction of carcasses, feed and other fomites that could transmit the virus, at an authorised processing plant. nnnn
- Establishment of a restriction zone around the outbreak. Within the 3 km zone there are no commercial farms; within the 3–10 km radius there are 21 commercial farms. n
The farm had been appropriately vaccinated against the disease, with 4 doses of vaccine having been administered to the birds; however, this did not prevent the introduction of the virus into one of the sheds. Vaccination of the remaining sheds has allowed them to remain virus-free. The source of the infection is currently under investigation.
nnnnMAPA recommends sanitary prophylaxis measures, particularly the use of vaccines, as well as the reinforcement of biosecurity measures on poultry farms — especially those aimed at preventing contact with wild birds — and the maintenance of strict passive surveillance to curb the spread of the virus.
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Timeline of Newcastle Outbreaks in Spain:
nnnnAfter more than three years (since 2022) without any Newcastle case in Spain, the disease appears to have become entrenched in the Valencian Community since its resurgence in December 2025. The following are the outbreaks to date:
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- The origin (Outbreak 1): The disease reappeared in Spain in late December 2025 in the municipality of Llutxent (Valencia), on a farm of 15,000 chickens, breaking the disease-free status that Spain had maintained since 2022. nnnn
- The spread (Outbreaks 2, 3 and 4): On 2 January 2026, three new secondary outbreaks were confirmed in the same municipality, affecting farms with flocks of 28,500, 16,500 and 20,100 birds. The investigation pointed to geographical proximity and links between owners as transmission factors. nnnn
- The fifth case (20 January 2026) on a farm of 75,000 broilers. nnnn
- Sixth outbreak (9 March 2026) in Terrateig, affecting a single shed of 27,000 hens within a poultry complex. n
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Further reading:
-. What is Newcastle Disease?
-. National Newcastle Surveillance Programme 2025.
-. Main page for Newcastle Disease Control at MAPA
-. Newcastle Disease on NeXusAvicultura
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