Ag Alert. May 24, 2023

Vaccine use approved to protect California condors

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is taking emergency action to help protect endangered California con- dors after several have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. APHIS has approved the emergency use of HPAI vaccine in an attempt to pre- vent additional deaths of the birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ap- proached APHIS about vaccination after

a California condor was found dead in late March and then confirmed positive for HPAI at APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Since then, 13 condors have died and were confirmed to have had HPAI. Two others are in re- covery at a rehabilitation center. The authorized vaccine is a product conditionally licensed by APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics in 2016. Since the vaccine has not previously

been tested against this strain of the virus in these species, the first step in the vac- cination program is a pilot safety study in North American vultures, a similar spe- cies, to investigate if there are any adverse effects before giving the vaccine to the endangered condors. The trial is funded by the Fish and Wildlife Service and will be carried out with the surrogate vultures in North Carolina beginning this month.

APHIS grants emergency-use ap- provals, which exempt products from one or more regulatory requirements normally applied to licensed vac- cines to prevent, control or eradicate animal diseases. APHIS approved this emergency vac- cination of the condors because the birds are critically endangered, closely monitored and their population is very small. Vultures and California condors are wild birds, not poultry as defined by the World Organization of Animal Health, and APHIS does not expect their vaccination to result in impacts to poultry trade. The emergency-use approval is limited to the endangered California condors. USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists continue to research vaccine options that could protect poultry from HPAI, should vaccination be necessary for additional birds in the U.S. Currently, biosecurity measures re- main the best, most effective tool for miti- gating the virus in commercial flocks, and improved biosecurity measures by the commercial industry have vastly reduced the number of detections compared to previous outbreaks.

Pathogens Continued from Page 9

who asked for a consultation. “I bug them a lot.” During the visit, Trouillas walked around the Lodi orchard where branches were dying. There was gumming, and the trees appeared stressed. Some looked to be sunburned from exposure. Old prun- ing wounds showed cankers, indicating that past disease treatments didn’t get rid of whatever was affecting the trees. Trouillas asked about the cultivar of the trees, explaining that some varieties are more susceptible to pests or diseases. He said he is focused on stress because that opens the door to disease. “I’m trying to figure out how they got infected so bad,” Trouillas said. “Bacterial canker is a very mysterious disease.” He said he thought it might be a bac- terial canker disease and shaves some bark to take to the lab for testing. He said he wants to come back next winter to take some samples to see where the pathogen is overwintering. “We’ll know in a few weeks if we have a fighting chance,” Vignolo said. The PCA said what is learned in one field can be passed on to others, provid- ing early warnings or advice for those in similar situations. “All these efforts at collaboration, from the field, to the lab, going through research projects, there’s only one goal here: to help the farmers of California,” Vignolo said. (This story was adapted from an article originally published by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis.)

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10 Ag Alert May 24, 2023