Avian influenza type A (HPAI) is a cause of mortality among California condors, so to protect the species from this virus the United States Fish and Wildlife Service joined efforts with the Department of Agriculture of the United States and the United States Geological Survey to test a vaccine that was administered by the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) and the Oregon Zoo, organizations that are members of the Condor Recovery Program Of California. The Carolina Raptor Center was incorporated into this effort.
The results were released this Tuesday by the Fish and Wildlife Service and are very promising. 60% of the immunized birds developed sufficient antibodies to be measured and provide protection against HPAI when exposed to this disease.
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This is extremely important for the survival of this species given that avian influenza type A was detected in Arizona in early 2023, both in condors and other birds in different regions of the country. 21 condor specimens lost their lives during this HPAI outbreak.
In May, the USDA’s Bird and Plant Health Inspection Service approved the emergency use of this vaccine among captive California condors, a species that remains in danger of extinction.
The first reactions recorded by the LA Zoo and the SDZWA showed the probability that the vaccine will benefit condors in the wild. The Fish and Wildlife Service will wait for the final results of this test to decide whether to proceed with vaccinating these birds that are in their natural habitat.
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“30 years ago, the LA Zoo joined the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to support the rescue and protection of these critically endangered birds. This species was on the brink of extinction and our work was vital to its recovery – increasing the population from approximately 20 individuals in the 1980s to more than 500 California condors in the world today,” explained Denise M. Verret. , CEO and Zoo Director, at the Los Angeles Zoo. “This vaccination trial is an urgent and upcoming step in this collaborative framework to protect these birds from a new and latent threat – the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. It gives these resilient birds the chance to survive and gives hope for a future in which the species can once again thrive in the wild,” Verret concluded.
2023-10-17 23:35:09
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