The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted emergency approval for a bird flu vaccine to be used in California condors, an endangered species with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet. The move comes after more than a dozen of the birds have died from the virus, known as H5N1. Vaccination of captive birds will begin soon, with the hope of preventing additional deaths.
The virus has been detected in more than 6,700 wild birds in every state but Hawaii, and has caused mass die-offs around the world. It has also spilled over into mammals and caused a small number of human infections.
Officials are considering a mass poultry vaccination campaign, and U.S.D.A. scientists have been testing numerous potential vaccines. The country could see more animal outbreaks in the coming weeks as infected wild birds migrate north for the summer.