Environment
Dozens of dead maned seals found off coast of Argentina
A maned seal in Munich’s Hellabrunn Zoo (archive image). photo
© Peter Kneffel/dpa
The largest wave of bird flu ever documented also affects other animals – most recently, sea lion carcasses tested positive for the H5N1 virus. Did the mane seals die from it too?
Two dozen dead maned seals have been found off Argentina’s Atlantic coast. The animals found near Punta Bermeja may have died of bird flu, the Ministry of the Environment of the Province of Río Negro said on Monday (local time). In addition, corresponding symptoms of bird flu were registered in a further 53 seals. Most recently, sea lion carcasses discovered in the region had tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Currently, the largest ever documented wave of avian influenza is raging in birds, which extends over several continents. Most recently, the pathogen had been found in several mammalian species such as raccoons, foxes and martens. According to experts, a direct transmission between mammals can no longer be ruled out. That would therefore be an indication that the The H5N1 virus adapts to mammals and could therefore also become more dangerous to humans.