Bird flu reaches Antarctica for first time

Bird Island is considered one of the most wildlife-rich places on earth. Its name is “bird island“It lives up to its name as it is a natural refuge for many endangered bird species, which share the icy rocks with a massive penguin colony of up to 100,000 individuals, as well as approximately 65,000 pairs of sea lions. Located in the northwest corner of South Georgia, the island’s unparalleled biodiversity has made it a focus of attention for academics, ecologists and scientific conservationists, who constantly monitor and evaluate its development and evolution.

You can imagine the doubt and concern biologists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) felt when they observed unexplained high bird mortality on the island. They collected samples and sent them to the UK for analysis. When the news came, it was devastating: “It’s a particularly sad event,” explains Ashley Bennison, scientific director of the Bird Island researchers.

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In 2021, an outbreak of avian influenza, caused by the most dangerous and contagious variant of the virus (H5N1), wreaked havoc across the American continent, especially in the southernmost countries where the virus was found in poultry. This is even true among many mammals. In Chile and Peru alone, bird flu has killed an estimated 500,000 seabirds and 20,000 sea lions.

The latest report from the British Antarctic Survey shows that the current epidemic is far from calming down, but is spreading and starting to take a worrying turn: “Detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (IAAP) A population of brown skuas on Bird Island, South Georgia, represented by First known case in Antarctica“.

Antarctic brown skua, also known as brown skua (Antarctic orb mite), is a seabird similar to a gull that inhabits the icy waters around the Antarctic coast. It feeds on fish, eggs, and the young of other birds, as well as carrion left behind by other predators, and exploits any loopholes to steal prey from other birds. They are migratory birds, and scientists believe some infected brown skuas may have brought the virus with them from South America.

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The analyzes confirm what was already feared by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), which just a few months ago released a detailed document assessing the “biological risks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Southern Ocean.” In the report, the researchers provided a table listing the species most susceptible to contracting and spreading the virus, placing brown skuas and gulls at the top of the list.

The H5N1 virus spread rapidly across the continent, from Canada to Chile, traveling more than 6,000 kilometers across South America in just three months, driven by wild bird migration routes. This ability of bird flu has alarmed scientists, who fear the virus has spread to South Georgia.Now that the first cases have been confirmed, researchers Not sure if there is a full impact The virus can spread in habitats that the species is not prepared for. The island is a breeding ground for tens of thousands of pairs of penguins and seals. They have never been exposed to this deadly strain of H5N1 virus before.

“The region’s fragile wildlife populations are facing a real reproductive disaster,” Director Bennison explained. “Given the very different patterns of transmission and mortality in Europe and the Americas, it is impossible to predict the consequences of avian influenza in South Georgia. We have currently suspended all research work involving bird management and plans must be put in place to continue monitoring the island wildlife and possible spread to other areas.”

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Scientific references and more information:

British Antarctic Survey “First confirmed case of avian influenza in Antarctica”

Phoebe Weston “Bird flu reaches Antarctica for the first time” Wired.com

Report of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research: “Biological risk assessment of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Southern Ocean”

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