Castilla-La Mancha imposes mandatory vaccination against Newcastle disease

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of Castilla-La Mancha has ordered mandatory vaccination against Newcastle disease in all poultry production and breeding farms in the region, effective from October 1, 2026. The decision is formalized in the Resolution of 09/09/2026, from the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Planning, published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 179, dated September 17, 2026, with official reference 2026/6574. The regulation excludes only self-consumption farms and does not impose restrictions on movements or the productive activity of the farms.

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease affecting birds and is included in the list of diseases requiring mandatory notification by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The European Union categorizes it as a disease of special relevance due to its severe sanitary, economic, and commercial repercussions for the poultry sector, and Royal Decree 779/2023, of October 10, includes it among the diseases subject to mandatory official notification in Spain.

A preventive response to outbreaks in neighboring communities

The text justifies the measure based on the epidemiological situation of the bordering autonomous communities. During 2026, various outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been confirmed and managed in neighboring poultry farms, which have led those administrations to adopt their own measures:

• Castilla y León: through the Resolution of July 2, 2026, from the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production, mandatory vaccination was established with progressive application to the provinces of Valladolid and Segovia from August 1, 2026, and to the entire community from September 1, 2026.
• Valencian Community: through the Resolution of July 1, 2026, from the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production, measures for surveillance, control of vaccine immunity, and reinforcement of biosecurity were adopted.

The Regional Ministry argues that the geographical proximity of the outbreaks, the high capacity of the virus to spread to other domestic and wild birds, and the intensity of commercial movements of birds and poultry products between communities constitute a real risk of introduction and propagation, regardless of whether there are active declared outbreaks in the regional territory. Therefore, vaccination is established on a structural and permanent basis, as an immune reinforcement to reduce the risk of virus entry and minimize its sanitary and economic impact.

Obligations for farm owners

The resolution details the burdens assumed by the affected farms:

• Apply the vaccination schedule according to the manufacturer’s instructions for each type of authorized vaccine, so as to guarantee an adequate and sustained level of immunization over time in all flocks.
• Keep documentation proving compliance with the vaccination schedule available to the official veterinary services.
• Comply with the surveillance and biosecurity obligations established in Royal Decree 346/2025, of April 22, which regulates the obligations of the holding owner.

Regulatory Framework and Appeals

The regulation is based on Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 of December 3, 2018, which categorizes Newcastle disease in “List A” for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on animal transmissible diseases, and in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/687, which empowers competent authorities to adopt measures such as the delimitation of restricted zones and the reinforcement of epidemiological surveillance. At the state level, Law 8/2003, of April 24, on Animal Health, is invoked, whose article 17.1.g) allows for the adoption of measures against the risk of spread of a notifiable disease, as well as Decree 30/2025, of April 29, on the structure and competencies of the Regional Ministry.

The resolution takes effect from the day following its publication, that is, from September 18, 2026, and does not exhaust administrative remedies: an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed against it within one month before the Counselor of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, in accordance with Law 39/2015, of October 1. The document was signed in Toledo on September 9, 2026, by the Director General of Agricultural Management, Lydia Benítez García.

Impact on the Sector

The measure affects the entire regional poultry census for production and breeding and adds a direct sanitary cost to the holdings, which must assume the purchase of vaccines and their application according to the manufacturer’s schedule, in addition to the documentary and biosecurity burden. In exchange, the Regional Ministry avoids restrictions on movements and productive activity, so that the sector maintains its commercial operations while reinforcing the immunity of the flocks against a highly contagious virus already present in neighboring communities.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM), no. 179, of September 17, 2026, section III (Other Provisions and Acts), pp. 32132-32133 (official reference: 2026/6574).