US vaccinates critically endangered birds against avian flu

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government has approved the vaccination of the critically endangered California condor against avian flu.

Known scientifically as Gymnogyps californianus, the condor is a member of the vulture family and was declared endangered in 1987.

California condors are known for their largest wingspan in North America.

Officials said the decision to vaccinate the condors does not mean they will also vaccinate the poultry population.

The HPAI strain, currently spreading first infected birds in China in 1996.

Since late 2021, there have been outbreaks throughout the summer in a record number of bird species, as well as mammals.

Samantha Gibbs, a wildlife veterinarian, said H5N1 has killed birds before, but never on the scale, it is now in North America and Europe.

Since October 2021, more than 70 countries on five continents have reported outbreaks. On May 22 Brazil, which is the world’s largest poultry exporter, became the eighth South American country to declare an emergency, in response to the country’s first detection of HPAI in wild birds.

 H5N1 can infect humans, but cases are rare and usually result from close contact with infected poultry.

The administration of the vaccine to birds has long been controversial among researchers and farmers.

Poultry farmers fear the cost and difficulty of vaccinating millions of birds, as well as trade restrictions.

Many countries ban imports of vaccinated birds because they could make it difficult to track the spread of the virus.

The high mortality rate of the current H5N1 strain in the California condor has forced health officials to reevaluate this approach.

So far this year, authorities have found 21 dead condors, 15 of which tested positive for HPAI.