Newswise — A Florida State University faculty member is one of six researchers who has successfully tested a West Nile Virus equine vaccine on swans, providing the first real measure of protection against the virus for the world's largest waterfowl.
Fanchon F. "Fancy" Funk, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy studies at FSU, was part of the three-month study conducted by the Florida-based The Regal Swanâ„¢ that inoculated six English Mute Swans at the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club in Orlando, Fla.
Prior to the group's research, no vaccine had been proven to protect swans against the West Nile Virus, no titer testing existed in swans to determine the correct amount of vaccine to use and the scientific investigation into the swans' antibody response to the vaccine had not been documented.
The equine vaccine, developed by Fort Dodge Animal Health, was injected into the swans and produced no detrimental side effects or deaths, according to Funk. Titer tests conducted on blood samples taken from the swans showed a sustained level of antibody response following vaccination. The use of equine vaccine in swans is, so far, an off-label application - one not intended by the manufacturer - that veterinarians may choose to use.
Initial vaccination protocols were set by Dr. Christopher W. Brown, a Central Florida veterinarian, and Dr. Geoffrey R. Gardner, a Lakeland, Fla., veterinarian. The vaccine also has been tested on other captive birds, such as flamingos, that showed an antibody response to the vaccines. However, such testing was done by other groups at various testing sites, according to Funk.
Each year, the virus affects more than 130 species of birds. During these outbreaks, hundreds of predatory and migratory birds are killed.
In June, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson warned of the potential for another deadly outbreak this summer due to heavy spring rains across the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, all 50 states are expected to be affected this year by the disease that is carried by mosquitoes.Â
Along with Funk, Brown and Gardner, the other researchers were: FSU alumna Sheila A. Bolin, M.S., who is a swan keeper with the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club; Rebecca Webb Wilson, J.D., a professional photographer and a lifetime trustee of the Memphis Zoological Society, Memphis, Tenn.; and Shirley A. Bolin, A.G.S., the head photographer and a staff writer with the Orange Lake Resort and Country Club.
Funk previously was part of a successful three-year effort to test a vaccine that prevents botulism in swans. As a result of her collective research experiences with swans, Funk, along with other members of the research team and three curriculum specialists, has begun to develop a pre-K through adult curriculum about swans that teaches science while promoting reading skills.
The three curriculum specialists are Maryann Ehle of West Liberty College, W.Va.; Elsa Price of Faulkner University, Ala.; and Jo Ann Belk of Memphis State University, Tenn. For more information on The Regal Swanâ„¢, visit: http://www.theroyalwindsorwebsite.com or http://www.theregalswan.com.
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