Disease Outbreak in Lebanon Takes Heavy Toll on Poultry Farms

An outbreak of exotic Newcastle disease has killed over 2,000 chickens in Akkar, Daily News reported Tuesday. Symptoms of the fatal viral disease, which affects all species of birds, appeared a week ago mainly in the villages of Majdala, Saysouq, Qloud al-Baqieh, Borqayel, and Hmeira, the paper said. 

A farmer, Youssef Abdullah of Hmeira, was quoted by the daily as saying that "the chickens that caught the virus died within a week." 

In 1971, a major outbreak occurred in commercial poultry flocks in southern California, leading to huge losses in the industry -- Albawaba.com 

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