The California condor is the only bird species in the U.S. that has been approved for the new emergency-use vaccine, which was administered this summer to condors bred in captivity during a trial at the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Oregon Zoo.
“Losing 20 birds is effectively akin to setting the recovery program back by 10 years,” said Dr. Hendrik Nollens, vice president of wildlife health for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “We’re thankful that we’re getting any immune response,” said Ashleigh Blackford, the California condor coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bird flu trial’s progress will allow wildlife officials to move forward and release roughly two dozen vaccinated condors into the wild in California and Arizona by the end of the year. The government is awaiting additional results before deciding whether free-flying condors should be captured and inoculated. Officials already vaccinate condors in captivity and in the wild for West Nile virus.
The shots initially were tested on black vultures to make sure they could be safely injected into condors in managed care beginning in July. The post-inoculation monitoring and testing lasted 42 days and officials said no adverse reactions occurred. The trial’s second test group includes 10 condors vaccinated with one dose of a single milliliter . Results from those birds will determine whether condors in the wild will get the shot.
Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: LAist - 🏆 606. / 51 Read more »
Source: KIRO7Seattle - 🏆 271. / 63 Read more »
Source: dcexaminer - 🏆 6. / 94 Read more »