Avian influenza virus detected in cormorants and cormorants for first time Penguins in Antarctica. The scientific community is concerned.
Bird flu, a deadly virus for birds with no cure, has arrived in the White Continent, posing a new threat to Adélie penguins and cormorant birds. Chile’s Millennium Biodiversity Research Institute of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems confirmed this and has verified nine cases.
For the scientific community, this is a matter of great concern. “It causes very high mortality rates. There are many species, but mortality rates also vary greatly between species and within each species and between individuals. “There is genetic diversity and some people will be able to resist the virus and some will die.” said Dr. Juliana Vianna, researcher at the Millennium Biodiversity Institute of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems in Chile.
Fabiola Leon, a researcher at the Chilean institute, analyzed the nine cases. “When highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are present, symptoms are often associated with movement disorders and high mortality.”
For María Angélica Leal, a biologist and researcher associated with the Colombian Antarctic Program, this could have a huge impact on Antarctic penguin populations.
“It’s really alarming and the risks it represents for the isolated penguin species found in Antarctica, where diseases can spread so quickly, even “It could significantly reduce its population.”
This happens in addition to the fact that Antarctica’s iconic animals are highly sensitive to climate change, according to experts.
The first case of avian influenza was reported in October 2022, and the virus has since spread to much of Latin America.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an international organization, the disease poses a threat to poultry production, especially chickens, worldwide.
In 2023, avian influenza killed approximately 1,300 Humboldt penguins in Chile and Peru. In Ecuador, more than 1.2 million birds have died or been euthanized due to the disease. Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and other countries are also affected.
Experts insist ongoing monitoring is needed because the flu can also affect marine mammals.