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Authorities have confirmed that bird flu has reached mainland Antarctica for the first time.
The H5N1 virus was discovered on Friday in the carcasses of two carrion-eating birds called great gulls near Primavera Station, Argentina’s scientific research station on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Additional suspected cases have also been reported in skuas, southern skuas and kelp gulls in Hope Bay, also on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to data from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
“This discovery shows for the first time that a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has reached Antarctica, despite the distance and natural barriers that separate it from other continents,” a Spanish government report published on Sunday said. did.
These are the first cases confirmed on the continent itself, indicating that the virus is spreading in the region, possibly through migratory birds. This H5N1 outbreak has killed millions of wild birds worldwide since 2021 and is thought to have spread to every continent except Oceania.
Avian influenza was reported in sub-Antarctic islands last October and has reached wider Antarctica. The virus was first detected in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, a British overseas territory about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from Antarctica. It was also found in the Falkland Islands, 900 miles northwest of South Georgia.
It was first reported in birds such as gulls, great gulls, and terns, but has since been found in albatross, penguins, and southern petrels. The virus has also spread to mammals in Antarctica, causing mass deaths of elephant seals and fur seals. The virus has also invaded Arctic wildlife populations. In December, the first polar bear was confirmed to have died from H5N1.
“There are numerous reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affecting several species in the Antarctic region this season,” said Matthew Dryden of the UK Health and Safety Executive. “It may not have been previously reported in mainland Antarctica due to difficulties in accessing and sampling wildlife.” [there]”
The dead bird on mainland Antarctica was discovered by Argentine scientists and sent to scientists at the Center for Molecular Severo Ochoa Biology in Madrid, who were working at the Spanish Antarctic Station on Deception Island.
“The question is: how long does it take to infect other species, such as penguins? We need to monitor that,” said the researcher at Spain’s Antarctic base. said Antonio Alcami, who works at the Center for Molecular Severo Ochoa Biology, CSIC, which tested the carcass. “Unfortunately, I think it’s probably going to infect the penguins as well. Skuas live quite close together, so there’s a lot of potential for infection, but we’ll see.”
Previous outbreaks in South Africa, Chile and Argentina have shown penguins to be susceptible to the virus. More than 500,000 seabirds have died from the H5N1 virus since it arrived in South America, with penguins, pelicans and gannets among the worst affected.
“If the virus begins to cause mass mortality throughout penguin colonies, it could represent one of the greatest ecological disasters of our time,” the researchers wrote in a preprint research paper last November. .
Diana Bell, emeritus professor of conservation biology at the University of East Anglia, said the news was “unfortunate but not surprising given the previously reported presence of birds and elephant seals in the Antarctic Islands.” said. It seems unlikely that the penguins there will not be infected. ”
Dryden added: “Biosecurity is important to prevent humans from being exposed to the virus. HPAI rarely infects humans, but requires close contact over an extended period of time.”
Dryden said many wildlife habitats have been closed to tourists to curb the spread of the virus, but little else can be done to stop the spread of the virus. He said: “There is nothing more that can be done to limit transmission to wildlife and the outbreak is left to resolve itself.”
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