‘A catastrophe for wildlife’: bird flu could reach Antarctica, international panel warns

for three years, bird flu infection Advancing through the main broadcast between wild birds and poultry.and virus Affected mammals such as sea lions and minks And achieved global expansion.

The virus was discovered in Colombia last October and again this year Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina in different kinds of animals.

A report from World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) Influenza Expert Networkdepending on the UN, warn How is this going risk think the virus The arrival of bird flu in Antarctica will bring disaster to the fauna of Antarctica. It is one of only two continents (the others being Australia) not yet affected by the pathogen.

“The negative impact of this virus on Antarctic fauna is likely to be substantial, possibly more severe than the impact on South American fauna,” the report warns.

Epidemics in birds begin with 2020 When a new strain was detected, they dubbed it “H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b.” The strain spread in North America before reaching South America via migratory birds.

These birds can carry the virus. Sometimes they have no symptoms. In other cases, they may also get sick. Transmission of the virus may occur if they come into contact with poultry congregated in large numbers, such as hens or chicks. In addition, mammals can become infected with avian influenza if they come into contact with infected birds.

exist peru and chile registered More than 500,000 seabirds and 25,000 sea lions diedaccording to a report by scientists.

36% of the pelican population in Peru and 13% of the Humboldt penguin population in Chile have disappeared. In addition, dead sea lions accounted for 9% of the populations of Peru and Chile.

In Argentina, where a health emergency was declared last February, there were outbreaks in wild birds and poultry. In August, South American sea lions that inhabited the entire colony began to confirm outbreaks. atlantic coast, from the coast of the province of Buenos Aires to Tierra del Fuego. Last Tuesday, Senasa confirmed the last outbreak among sea lions in the area. Major Bratovic Spain the province of Buenos Aires.

Experts worry about the future of Antarctica’s fauna. More than 100 million birds lay their eggs there and on nearby islands. Many marine mammals swim in the surrounding waters. Some of these species, such as emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals, congregate in large flocks.

according to scientists Ralph van Struelsresearcher at the Latin American Wildlife Health Project University of California, Davis, USA The co-authors of the report said that if the bird flu virus spread and spread in Antarctica, it could cause “massive deaths” in animals.

Because some birds frequently fly between South America and Antarctica, they may carry the virus if infected. Others will travel to breeding grounds in the white continent starting in September.

The negative impact of avian influenza on wild Antarctic bird and mammal populations “could be enormous, both because they may be susceptible to succumbing to the virus and because they are present in as many as thousands of pinnipeds. and in dense flocks of hundreds of thousands of birds “, allowing the virus to spread efficiently,” the scientists wrote.

it may affect Emperor Penguins and Gray Gullsthese birds are already facing other threats, climate change, fisheries or other human activities.

It could also disrupt Antarctic seal populations: 95 percent of the population lives around a single island, making it prone to outbreaks.

The panel also recommends that people living on Antarctic bases should take precautions, as should people working with poultry in other parts of the world. They should clean and disinfect clothing, footwear and field equipment before arriving in Antarctica and between visits to different wildlife areas.

Before visiting, wildlife should be observed from a distance for signs of illness (particularly neurological symptoms) and death suggestive of avian influenza. Visits should be canceled if influenza is suspected and appropriate authorities notified.

They should also wear personal protective equipment. Humans can also be infected with bird flu viruses. Due to proximity to infected animals.Currently, the virus has managed to affect a small number of people in the world, but according to World Health Organization Can be recombined and enable human-to-human transmission.

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