Chilean researchers announced on Tuesday that the avian influenza virus has been detected for the first time in penguin and cormorant birds in Antarctica.
“The detection of positive cases of avian influenza in Adélie penguins and Antarctic cormorants for the first time marks a milestone in wildlife health research in the region,” reports the Millennium Biodiversity Research Institute of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems in Chile.
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Chilean researchers announced on Tuesday that the avian influenza virus has been detected for the first time in penguin and cormorant birds in Antarctica.
“The detection of positive cases of avian influenza in Adélie penguins and Antarctic cormorants for the first time marks a milestone in wildlife health research in the region,” reports the Millennium Biodiversity Research Institute of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems in Chile.
A study of 13 breeding sites on the Antarctic Peninsula and the west coast of the White Continent revealed a total of nine cases of the H5N1 virus.
Avian influenza is fatal to birds and has no cure.
High mortality rates among skuas (small birds also called skuas) alarmed scientists, who eventually confirmed the virus on the Antarctic coast.
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In October, the H5N1 virus was discovered for the first time in Antarctica.
At the time, the virus was confirmed in skuas by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an organization affiliated with British researchers active in the region.
According to the National Fisheries Agency (Sernapesca), bird flu killed about 1,300 Humboldt penguins in 2023, accounting for about 10% of the bird’s population in Chile.
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In addition, avian influenza affects fifty species, including pelicans, gulls and gulls. A 53-year-old man was also infected and was hospitalized for nearly three months in serious condition.
axl/vel/cjc