Central Asia’s poultry industry is going through a period of rapid modernization. Transboundary poultry diseases continue to be a key concern for veterinary authorities as Uzbekistan increases its commercial production capacities to fulfill domestic demand and broaden export routes. Newcastle Disease (ND) is one of these infections that poses a continuous risk to flock security, necessitating strict biosecurity and accurate immunization procedures.

1. The Poultry Industry in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s poultry sector is transitioning from traditional backyard farming to intensive, commercial operations. The industry is basically categorized into egg production, broiler meat production, and breeding sectors.

Although beef and mutton have historically been preferred in Uzbekistan’s traditional diet, the use of poultry meat has increased quickly because of its affordable price and nutritious qualities. The yearly per capita intake of eggs varies greatly by location, ranging from 121 to 221 eggs, whereas the per capita consumption of poultry meat, according to current national guidelines and market estimates, is between 9.6 and 10.0 kg. In terms of structure, the industry shows a high degree of self-sufficiency in the production of eggs in addition to a continuously increasing output of commercial broiler meat. However, the sector still depends in part on imported feed components and parent and grandparent genetic material to support its production pipeline, thus total independence is still limited.

2. Newcastle Disease Virus Brief

The history of Newcastle Disease in Uzbekistan is tightly linked to the wider epidemiological landscape of the post-Soviet Central Asian republics. Systematic documentation of NDV in the region traces back to the mid-20th century, Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious disease affecting poultry, The three main pathotypes of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) strains in birds are lentogenic (low virulence, mild/no symptoms), mesogenic (moderate virulence), and velogenic (very pathogenic, causing severe respiratory/nervous manifestations and significant mortality).

• Etiology: The disease is caused by virulent strains of Avian Orthoavulavirus 1, family Paramyxoviridae (formerly known as Avian Paramyxovirus 1 or APMV-1). It is an enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus.
• Transmission: The virus spreads via inhalation or ingestion of contaminated secretions. Migratory birds act to introduce new strains into local poultry populations.
• Clinical Signs: Infected birds shows severe respiratory distress, greenish diarrhea, and neurological signs, as torticollis and leg paralysis.
• Pathology: Postmortem examinations typically shows proventricular, cecal tonsils, and intestinal lymphoid patches hemorrhages, in addition to catarrhal tracheitis .
  The amino acid motif at the viral Fusion (F) protein’s cleavage site is the main factor that determines NDV pathogenicity.

3. Most Prevalent Genotypes and Recent Outbreaks

Molecular tracing of virulent field isolates reveals that Genotype VII viruses are clearly dominant in Central Asia.

• Genotype VII (more precisely, sub-genotypes VIIb and VIId): These are the main velogenic lineages that have caused significant historical and regional outbreaks throughout the Middle East and nearby Central Asian nations (such Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). Due to their extreme aggression, these strains can penetrate poorly controlled

There are two aspects to Uzbekistan’s current Newcastle disease epidemiology situation:

• The Commercial Sector: Strict industrial biosecurity and vigorous immunization procedures are maintained in modern commercial poultry operations.Uzbekistan has been able to aggressively pursue export registrations, such as General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) compliance for poultry products
• The Backyard/Smallholder Sector: The virus is still widespread in rural backyard environments despite commercial success. Along the Central Asian Flyway, smallholder flocks often come into contact with migratory wild birds. In addition to acting as a continuous source of environmental viral pressure, these unmonitored populations act as natural reservoirs, triggering intermittent local outbreaks that endanger small-scale livelihoods.

4. Control, Vaccination, and Recommendations

A comprehensive approach that achieves a balance between strict structural biosecurity and active immunological priming is necessary for the effective management of Newcastle disease.

• Day-of-Age Priming: To promote mucosal immunity in the respiratory and digestive systems, moderate, live lentogenic strains (such as Hitchner B1, Clone 30, or rNDV vectors) are used to immunize chicks at hatch by coarse spray or eye drop.
• Field Boosters: Depending on maternal antibody depletion rates and field pressure, live or inactivated oil emulsion boosters are given at 14 days and repeated at 35–40 days.
• Biosecurity Auditing: Make sure that commercial facilities and wild bird habitats are physically separated. Dedicated shower-in systems, vehicle disinfection baths, and high-efficiency ventilation filters are essential.
• Strategic Monitoring: Use standard serological tests (HI titers or ELISA) to track herd immunity on a regular basis. An early warning sign of a field viral challenge can be an abrupt, unexpected increase in NDV antibody titers in a seemingly healthy flock.
• Differential Diagnosis: Field diagnostics must frequently use RT-PCR to distinguish NDV from Avian Influenza and variant strains of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) that are currently circulating in Central Asia because clinical respiratory and neurological signs overlap with other viral pathogens.

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