West Nile virus fells endangered condor.A cliff-dwelling California condor condor, common name for certain American vultures, found in the high peaks of the Andes of South America and the Coast Range of S California. Condors are the largest of the living birds, nearly 50 in. chick in Ventura County, Calif., died in late August from a West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. infection. The chick is one of only four of its species born in the wild this year. The 3-month-old bird's illness was complicated by pneumonia, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is administering a recovery program for these highly endangered birds. Knowing the species' vulnerability to West Nile virus, FWS scientists had inoculated the chick's parents with a condor-specific West Nile West Nile may refer to:
"We know through testing on captive condors that maternal immunity maternal immunity Passive immunity Immunity in a neonate provided by IgG antibodies from the mother passing across the placenta to the fetus; MI is immunoprotective for up to 6 months is transferred to the chicks," notes project leader for the recovery program Marc Weitzel of the FWS Hopper Mountain Complex outside Ventura, Calif. However, the team didn't expect that immunity to have worn off so soon. Conservation scientists routinely vaccinate vac·ci·nate v. To inoculate with a vaccine in order to produce immunity to an infectious disease such as diphtheria or typhus. vac all adults of the species and chicks born in captivity as part of the recovery program. "We [now] will attempt to vaccinate wild-hatched chicks in their nests," says Weitzel. Just 276 California condors survive. Roughly 150 live in captive-rearing programs at zoos and other centers. The rest are part of populations that were reintroduced to the wilds of California, Arizona, and Baja, Mexico, beginning more than a decade ago (SN: 1/25/92,p. 53). The imperiled species--whose population once had plummeted to just 27 individuals--began successfully reproducing in the wild 4 years ago (SN: 6/9/01, p. 357).--J.R. |
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