CDFA is working with federal partners to allow vaccination of the endangered birds under emergency provisions

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Animal Health and Food Safety Services division is engaged in a cooperative effort to protect endangered California Condors from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) after federal authorities confirmed the disease as the cause of death of several of the birds.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved the emergency use of HPAI vaccine in an attempt to prevent additional deaths of these birds, and CDFA’s State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones is responsible for approving the use of the vaccine in California.

“These magnificent birds are a California icon,” said Dr. Jones. “Because they are critically endangered and their population is relatively small and closely tracked, we are in a position to move quickly and selectively to approve this emergency use of a vaccine.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approached partner agencies 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, at least 13 condors have died and were confirmed to have HPAI, and two others are in recovery at a rehabilitation center.

The authorized vaccine is a killed, inactivated 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 vaccination program is a pilot safety study in North American vultures, a similar species, to investigate if there are any adverse effects before giving the vaccine to the endangered condors. This trial is funded by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and will be carried out with the surrogate vultures in North Carolina beginning in May 2023.

APHIS grants emergency use approvals, which exempt products from one or more regulatory requirements normally applied to licensed vaccines, to prevent, control, or eradicate animal diseases in connection with an official USDA program and/or an emergency animal disease situation. CDFA’s State Veterinarian has the regulatory authority to approve emergency use of these licensed vaccines within California.

APHIS and CDFA approved this emergency vaccination of the condors because these birds are critically endangered, closely monitored, and their population is very small which allows close monitoring of the vaccine to ensure it is administered only to the approved population. Vultures and California condors are wild birds, not poultry as defined by the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH), and officials do not expect their vaccination to result in impacts to poultry trade.

This emergency use approval is limited to the endangered California condors. USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists continue to research vaccine options that could protect U.S. poultry from HPAI, should vaccination be necessary for additional birds in the United States. Currently, biosecurity measures remain the best, most effective tool for mitigating the virus in commercial flocks, and improved biosecurity measures by the commercial industry have vastly reduced the number of detections compared to previous outbreaks. For example, in March 2022, there were a total of 51 commercial poultry HPAI detections in the US. In March 2023, there were 7 commercial poultry detections, a decrease of 85% from the previous year. In April 2023, there were just two commercial cases of HPAI, compared to 106 cases in April 2022. More information about APHIS’ efforts to work with industry as well as state and other federal partners to manage the outbreak can be found here.

News Release from Governor Newsom’s office (May 17, 2023)

WHAT TO KNOW: Amid ongoing flood impacts in the Central Valley, the state is extending flood diversion flexibilities implemented for the Tulare Lake Basin to the San Joaquin River Basin as the latter faces increased flood risks due to snowmelt. Today’s order finetunes flood diversion and groundwater recharge efforts based on the latest information and responds to a local request for Kern River floodwater to be allowed into the California Aqueduct to reduce flows into the Tulare Lake Basin.

SACRAMENTO – In response to the latest runoff conditions and flood impact modeling, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order updating and extending recent emergency actions to allow expedited floodwater diversion, debris removal, levee repairs and other flood preparation and response activities in the Tulare Lake and San Joaquin River Basins, and to allow diversion of floodwater for groundwater recharge purposes statewide.

Today’s order extends to the San Joaquin River Basin floodwater diversion waivers included in a prior executive order covering the Tulare Lake Basin. The San Joaquin River Basin may face increased flood risk as the historic snowpack in the Sierra Nevada continues to melt. The order includes refined requirements for new flood diversion and groundwater recharge efforts in the Tulare Lake and San Joaquin River Basins to protect water quality, infrastructure and wildlife habitats.

“With flooding impacts expected to continue into the summer, California is committed to supporting robust preparation, response and recovery efforts in this hard-hit region, and to using floodwaters to recharge our critical groundwater supplies where it’s safe to do so,” said Governor Newsom. “We’ll continue working with local partners to protect lives and livelihoods on the ground while advancing investments to protect communities throughout the state from future flooding.”

At the request of the Kern River Watermaster, the order also facilitates diversions of water into the Kern River Intertie which connects to the California Aqueduct, a part of the State Water Project system. These diversions will reduce the amount of excess Kern River water that could otherwise contribute to flooding in the Tulare Lake Basin. State agencies are working with the Kern River Watermaster to implement the use of the intertie as soon as this week.

The full text of today’s executive order can be found here.

Last week, Governor Newsom announced new proposed investments for a total of $492 million in budget funding to support the response to flood impacts throughout the state and help communities build resilience to future floods. This includes funding for multi-benefit floodplain reconnection and habitat restoration projects in the San Joaquin and Tulare Basins. In addition, the state will provide funding to raise a levee in Corcoran that is critical to maintaining public safety in the Tulare Basin region.

The Administration is also proposing legislation that codifies provisions from the March 10 executive order that set clear conditions for diverting floodwaters for groundwater recharge without permits or affecting water rights. With DWR projecting continued flooding impacts in the coming months, the state continues to support and conduct operations to forecast flood impacts and provide technical assistance and flood fighting materials to help protect communities and infrastructure.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and CDFA recognizes that stressors felt by farmworkers, farmers and ranchers are real and may require outside assistance. The agency maintains a webpage with mental health resources for those in need.

Suicide rates among farmers and ranchers are well above the national average, while mental health services are less available and accessible in rural areas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mental health can be an often-overlooked challenge facing farm communities nationwide, due to factors like farmland loss, land access issues, rising production costs, and plummeting farm incomes that have ripple effects in communities. 

CDFA’s Mental Health Resources Page includes a variety of referral resources as well as tips on stress management, including the importance of healthy relationships, a nutritious diet, consistent exercise, and good sleep.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross (center in photo) today welcomed a delegation from the Western Cape of South Africa as it begins a week-long visit to California. The meeting included a discussion of a memorandum of understanding between the Western Cape and CDFA signed in March of last year.

The MOU focuses on expanding exchanges of information about on-farm practices and technologies to support a robust and climate-resilient agriculture sector, and a pledge to work collaboratively to further international engagement by sub-national governments on climate-smart agriculture initiatives.

The delegation has meetings scheduled this week with various government agencies, legislative representatives, and academic partners.

CDFA recently visited Sweet Mabel’s Farm in West Sacramento, owned by Elle Huftill, an urban flower farmer. She takes us through her journey in farming and her passion for sustainable agriculture, as well as her commitment to community with fresh, locally-grown flowers.