Over the past three years, a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has whipped worldwide and wiped out seabird populations and marine mammals that hunt or feed on them. That same virus is expected to hit Antarctica this summer, where it can potentially threaten penguin colonies and spread to marine mammals like seals and sea lions.
Scientists say the virus is most likely brought to Antarctica by migratory birds. It has already killed millions of seabirds and other animals in South America, where it spread fast in dense bird populations.
The disease is not expected to affect people. Still, the discovery of H5N1 in Antarctica — home to more than 100 million birds — has prompted scientists to temporarily halt most fieldwork involving animal handling and enhance biosecurity measures across the continent. It’s also possible that tourist ships might not be able to dock at sites with signs of avian influenza, and researchers may have to work from vessels instead.
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Detection of the virus in Antarctica is a “serious matter” that needs to be taken seriously, says Dr Tom Hart, a biologist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which operates research stations on Bird Island and other locations. The BAS is a not-for-profit company that supports the scientific community in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Hart says the BAS was alerted to unexplained deaths of skuas, a scavenging bird, on Bird Island. The skuas were sent to the UK for testing and returned positive on October 23, The Telegraph reported. He said the virus is “most likely H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b” and likely related to the H5N1 responsible for human infections. He added that the tests needed to be completed, and more data was needed to confirm the infection.
“We know that this particular H5N1 strain is very efficient at spreading between wild and domesticated birds, and between them and the mammals that prey or scavenge on them,” Hart said in an interview with The Telegraph. He added that the skuas on Bird Island were probably infected through contact with other skuas on their migration from Argentina.
Skuas are a crucial risk species because they often kill or scavenge other birds, and then they become contaminated when eating the dead bodies of their victims. The BBC reports that the skuas tested on Bird Island were found to be “highly infected,” with a mortality rate of almost 90%. Scientists are concerned that the virus will spread to other Bird Island colonies, densely populated with scavenging birds such as sheathbills and giant petrels. They are also concerned that the H5N1 will be transmitted to terns, penguins, and sea lions, which can then spread it to other wildlife. Scientists have urged anyone in Antarctica to report unusual signs of sick birds. These include trembling, lack of coordination, and swelling or redness around the head, neck, or eyes.