A sudden increase in mortality preceded by a shore history of respiratory s
igns and diarrhea, occurred in a backyard flock of 48 game chickens in the
Central Valley of California. Necropsy findings included severe generalized
linear hemorrhages and/or ulcers in the digestive tract, larynx, and trach
ea. Histology revealed severe multifocal hemorrhages and necrosis in the mu
cosa of the respiratory and digestive tracts, vasculitis, and necrosis of l
ymphoid tissue. The birds were serologically negative to Newcastle disease
virus; this was consistent with an acute infection. The avian paramyxovirus
type I isolated was characterized as velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle dis
ease virus. A thorough epidemiologic investigation was carried out, and no
other premises were found to have birds with clinical signs or evidence of
exposure. The entire outbreak was limited to the original backyard flock an
d resolved within 14 days of the onset of clinical signs.