October 28, 2023. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey have discovered the first cases of avian influenza in Antarctic seabirds. The confirmation raises concerns that the disease may be spreading among dense populations of birds and mammals in the area.
Argentine Antarctica.- Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey have announced the first worrying discovery of avian influenza in seabirds that inhabit the Antarctic region.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a population of brown skuas on Bird Island, South Georgia. South Georgia is a British-occupied Argentine territory located at the eastern tip of South America, near Antarctica.
The birds are believed to have contracted the disease during their migration from South America, according to the British Antarctic Service.
Concern has focused on the rapid spread of the disease among dense flocks of birds and mammals in the Antarctic region, which could have significant impacts on wildlife.
The findings come after Offlu, the global network of bird flu experts, warned of the risk of HPAI H5 viruses spreading southward from South America. This is based on the spring migration of wild birds from South America to breeding areas in Antarctica. Offlu stressed that this could have a huge negative impact on Antarctica’s wild mammal and bird populations, as they may be susceptible to disease and there are dense animal colonies in the area.
Avian influenza is a disease caused by natural infection in wild waterfowl, and infected birds can spread the virus to other animals through saliva and other body secretions. Given that Antarctica and its coastal islands are home to large numbers of breeding birds, pinnipeds, and cetaceans, there are significant concerns about the potential for the virus to spread effectively in the region.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organization for Animal Health founded Offlu in 2005 to collect virus data and analyze disease patterns. The British Antarctic Survey, which is responsible for UK scientific activities in Antarctica, has two research stations on South Georgia, one of which is Bird Island, where the confirmed case was discovered.
The findings come amid record outbreaks of bird flu in several countries this year. For example, Japan had to cull nearly 10 million poultry to curb the spread of the disease, putting pressure on poultry supplies and causing egg prices to rise sharply. The scientific community and authorities are remaining vigilant to monitor and manage this worrying situation in Antarctica.