Newcastle Disease (ND), locally known as tetelo, has been an important part of the global poultry industry’s history for nearly a century. Ceva Animal Health held a special meeting titled “The Guards of a Century” with the theme “100 Years with Newcastle Disease.” The event took place at Novotel Bogor Golf Resort & Convention Center on 10–12 February 2026.
The event brought together hundreds of participants from 15 countries, serving as a scientific forum that united experts, practitioners, and stakeholders in the poultry industry from various regions. The first day began with a welcome dinner attended by speakers and participants. The following day featured several seminars along with a visit to the Balai Besar Perakitan dan Modernisasi Veteriner, and on the final day, further seminars were held focusing on solutions to address Newcastle Disease.
The atmosphere of this 100-year ND commemoration was designed to be not only informative but also reflective. A photo corridor displaying historical documentation alongside modern visuals invited participants to explore the long journey of the disease—from clinical manifestations and vaccine production processes to the human contributions behind them. A signature board was also presented as a symbol of shared commitment, not only to honor a century of dedication but also as a pledge to sustain the future of the animal health industry.
In his opening remarks, Christophe Cazaban, Poultry Scientific Director of Ceva Santé Animale, emphasized that the 100-year journey in combating Newcastle Disease is not merely a story about viruses and vaccines. A century after it was first reported, ND remains a strategic challenge for the global poultry industry.
“Continuous viral evolution demands improved diagnostic capacity, adaptive vaccine development, and consistent biosecurity implementation,” he stated.
The journey of ND is not only the history of a disease but also a reflection of advances in veterinary science and the industry’s commitment to safeguarding global poultry production. Hendra Wibawa, Director of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, explained the history of ND in Indonesia since it was first identified in 1926. He reviewed the early stages of disease identification, the development of early-generation vaccines, and subsequent virus characterization.
“Today I will not only discuss the history of ND but also its current situation in Indonesia. ND is classified as a notifiable animal disease, which must be reported and followed up through the national surveillance system. From the vaccine industry perspective, Indonesia has strong domestic production capacity. Several national manufacturers possess large production capacities to meet domestic demand,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ian Brown, head of the Avian Virology Group at the Pirbright Institute, highlighted the long journey of ND research—from its initial discovery to the development of modern diagnostic and control technologies that form the foundation of today’s industry. He described the emergence of ND in Newcastle upon Tyne, northeastern England, in 1926. Because early research on the disease was widely conducted there, it eventually became known as Newcastle disease.
“At that time, clinical diagnosis still faced difficulty in determining the cause of disease. Doyle, an early ND researcher, found that cases appeared near Newcastle, which was a trading hub with significant poultry imports from various parts of the world, including Southeast Asia. From there emerged the theory that the virus might have originated from Asia,” Ian explained.
He also highlighted the long-standing research contributions in Weybridge, which have enriched global scientific understanding of ND and laid the groundwork for modern control strategies used today.
Still within the same event, Kiril Dimitrov, Associate Director at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, explained the complexity of ND virus classification in the past and the process toward the integrated disease control system now widely accepted internationally. The standardization of classification is considered essential because it facilitates studies on viral evolution and epidemiology and allows comparisons of research results across different countries.
Visit to the Veterinary Assembly and Modernization Center
The Balai Besar Perakitan dan Modernisasi Veteriner, a technical implementation unit under the Badan Standardisasi Instrumen Pertanian, plays an important role in supporting government policies through the development of veterinary technologies, modernization efforts, testing, and strengthening laboratory infrastructure capacity for the control of strategic animal diseases, including poultry diseases.
Conference participants visited the facility to directly observe its infrastructure and activities. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge, strengthen networks, and encourage collaboration between the government and strategic partners such as PT Ceva Animal Health Indonesia.
A century has passed since ND was first recorded in Java. While challenges remain, collaboration, innovation, and shared commitment offer a clearer path toward the future control of Newcastle Disease. This momentum serves as a reminder that poultry disease control requires a science-based approach, modern technology, and strong collaboration networks between government and industry.
Testimonials
Komang
“I highly appreciate Ceva’s commitment to presenting technology and research, including collaborations with universities in Europe. The company is not only sales-oriented but also produces vaccines supported by strong scientific data. In this event, Newcastle Disease was discussed from both scientific and historical perspectives, broadening the knowledge of veterinarians. I hope scientific activities like this will continue, covering other diseases as well and strengthening research collaboration in Indonesia so that it can provide real benefits for the younger veterinary generation.”
Evan – PT Patriot Intan Abadi (PIA)
“I consider this event highly relevant to field conditions. Viruses are part of natural processes and will never completely disappear. High chicken population density actually creates opportunities for viruses to mutate and become more virulent. Therefore, a balance between population management and disease control is necessary.”
Overall, the event was well organized and aligned with the needs of the poultry industry. The theme of Newcastle Disease was considered highly relevant because the disease remains one of the major threats to the poultry sector and can cause significant losses if not properly controlled. Continuous vigilance against ND must therefore be maintained.
