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West Nile Bird Vaccine Breakthrough (from American Bird Conservancy)

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Birds and a West Nile Vaccine

Florida's human population has been alerted to concerns about the West Nile Virus, but it is the bird population that might be hardest hit. Nationwide, the virus is behind thousands of bird deaths, impacting hundreds of species. But a bird vaccine against West Nile--now being tested--shows great promise for rare birds in captivity, and perhaps in the wild. Gavin Shire is with American Bird Conservancy...

Results are good from the first tests of a vaccine to protect birds from the West Nile virus. With such attention focused on human concerns about the virus, Gavin Shire with American Bird Conservancy, says it's important to realize West Nile infects many times more birds than humans, and is more likely to kill a bird than a person. Because of that, he says these early vaccine tests are very important...

The West Nile Virus, first identified in the U.S. only several years ago, is already known as a human killer, but it is also a bird killer, where it may have already killed hundreds of thousands of birds across hundreds of species. Gavin Shire is with American Bird Conservancy--one of the groups helping develop a West Nile vaccine for birds...

Vaccinating captive birds

With news that the West Nile virus is more deadly to birds than it is to humans, several national organizations teamed up to develop a West Nile vaccine for birds. Initial tests show it could be very helpful. But who would make use of a vaccine for birds. Gavin Shire is with American Bird Conservancy...

Fighting Bird Disease

Several wildlife organizations and the Centers for Disease Control are working on a vaccine for birds against the West Nile Virus...