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ST. GEORGE — Earlier this year, the southwest was rocked by the news that 21 members of its Utah-Arizona California condor flock died during a "devastating" bird flu outbreak. But there's renewed hope with recent vaccine trials.
St. George News first reported the outbreak in April, and while no more cases have been reported, potentially due to rising temperatures, conservationists remain concerned. So, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began trials for a vaccine created by Zoetis to inoculate the condors.
Work began on the vaccine in 2014, and it received a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2016, Christina Lood told St. George News. Lood is the senior director of sustainability and innovation communications at Zoetis.
The original vaccine was manufactured in 2001-02 for poultry in Southeast Asia, Lood said, adding that they've since donated it to zoos across the globe to vaccinate dozens of avian species.
