Vaccination protects endangered albatross chicks against avian cholera. Issue 4 (14th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bourret, Vincent; Gamble, Amandine; Tornos, Jérémy; Jaeger, Audrey; Delord, Karine; Barbraud, Christophe; Tortosa, Pablo; Kada, Sarah; Thiebot, Jean‐Baptiste; Thibault, Eric; Gantelet, Hubert; Weimerskirch, Henri; Garnier, Romain; Boulinier, Thierry
• Is Part Of: Conservation letters. Volume 11:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2018-02-14
• Subjects: Amsterdam albatross -- antibody dynamics -- autogenous vaccine -- avian cholera -- dark‐mantled sooty albatross -- emerging infectious diseases -- Indian yellow‐nosed albatross -- Pasteurella multocida -- seabird conservation; Biodiversity conservation -- Periodicals; Biodiversity -- Monitoring -- Periodicals; 333.9516
• DOI: 10.1111/conl.12443
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-263X

Abstract

Abstract: Global change is contributing to unprecedented expansions of infectious diseases in wildlife. Recurrent avian cholera outbreaks are causing dramatic chick mortality and population decline in endangered albatross colonies on Amsterdam Island, a critical seabird breeding ground in the Southern Indian Ocean. We manufactured a killed vaccine using a Pasteurella multocida strain isolated from a dead albatross in the field. We used this same bacterial strain to establish a serological assay allowing the monitoring of antibody levels following bird vaccination. Using this vaccine on chicks 2 weeks posthatching caused 100% seroconversion and reduced the death risk by a factor exceeding 2.5, raising fledging probability from 14% to 46%. These results suggest that using a specifically tailored vaccine could be a key tool to effectively protect endangered seabirds from disease outbreaks threatening them with extinction.