Animals
Bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for the first time
The effects of bird flu on penguins can vary widely. photo
© Benedikt von Imhoff/dpa
Scientists are worried about Antarctica’s wildlife because the H5N1 virus has reached the mainland there. The researchers warn of an ecological catastrophe.
The bird flu that is rampant around the world has reached the Antarctic mainland for the first time. The highly pathogenic H5N1The virus was detected in at least one dead skua, said the Center for Molecular Biology at the Spanish research institute CSIC. The bird was discovered near the Argentine Primavera base on the Antarctic Peninsula and then examined by scientists at the Spanish research station Gabriel de Castilla. “This discovery shows for the first time that the highly pathogenic bird flu virus reached Antarctica despite the distance and natural barriers,” the institute said in a statement. Bird flu had already been detected on offshore islands.
Scientists are now worried about Antarctica’s wildlife, especially the penguin colonies. “Penguins nest very close together and if the virus gets into the colonies, it can spread very quickly,” write British researchers in a recently published advance publication of a scientific study on the spread of H5N1 in the Antarctic region. “If the virus leads to mass extinction in penguin colonies, it could represent one of the greatest ecological disasters of modern times.”
The largest wave of bird flu ever documented is currently raging across several continents. The pathogen primarily affects birds, but has also been found in several mammals. In South America, thousands of seals and sea lions have already fallen victim to the virus. About a month ago, two cases were recorded among gentoo penguins on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
“The effects in penguins can be very different, neurological and respiratory,” said Juliana Vianna from the Chilean research institute Milenio Base on radio station Bío Bío. “The virus causes high mortality, which varies from species to species due to genetic diversity. Some can resist the virus, others die.”