As thousands of children opened gifts in Spain, virologists Antonio Alkami and Angela Vazquez landed in Antarctica.It was January 6th, and his project Studying bird flu in penguins Everything has just begun.
The journey to Deception Island is not an easy one: They arrived before they even slept. But they had little time to rest. They must establish diagnostic laboratories. Unlike other expeditions, for the first time they were able to analyze samples shortly after collecting them.
“There are very Few countries have established such laboratories in Antarctica“, commented Alkami in a conversation with El Espanyol. “Our great advantage is that we can react relatively quickly to confirm the presence of the virus,” he added.
(The deadly flu that really worries scientists has infected domestic cats)
The fact that they are located approximately 15,073 kilometers from the place of work (Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology) also has its disadvantages. As Vazquez explains, distinguishing between clean and dirty areas is more complex. Apart from, space is very limited. Therefore, they had to leave some equipment on the ground. To this we must add that the equipment is duplicated in case of failure.
high mortality rate
In its latest update, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) reported Death of the King Penguin Due to bird flu. “This has been confirmed in the Malvinas Islands. But in Antarctica – that is, below 60 degrees latitude – there is no evidence yet,” Alkami clarified.
Angela Vazquez performs an avian influenza PCR test in the base laboratory.
Although I encountered dead penguins this year, The cause may be bird flu. “I always say that if you have 60,000 specimens in a penguin colony, including nestlings and adults, and you have a mortality rate of 30 percent, what we’re talking about is finding thousands of carcasses,” Alkami gave as an example.
Her research partners believe the disaster isn’t like this: “Now, the chickens are older, so it might not be as destructive. Even so, The mortality rate is quite high“. In other birds and marine mammals, the mortality rate of the H5N1 virus has reached about 40%.
The avian influenza virus, known as H5, continues to evolve into new strains. The difference is that until now it hasn’t spread so effectively.
The fastest spread is from the United States to Latin America, and as it spreads into wild populations, control becomes inevitable.Bird flu outbreak in Argentina More than 1,000 sea lions have died. This figure is similar to that registered in Brazil.
Virologists collect environmental samples from the penguin colony for analysis the next day.
As virologists explain, The possibility of the virus being transmitted to humans is very small. But in the few cases that have been detected, the mortality rate is between 40% and 50%.
Surrounded by 17,000 penguins
The work of these Spanish virologists is included in the project PERPANTAR, funded by the National Research Agency and supported by the Spanish Polar Council and the High Council for Scientific Research.
They will monitor the bird flu situation until March 9. Weather conditions permitting, of course. “When you’re in Antarctica, 30% of your time is wasted“There are days when we can’t go out and take samples,” Alkami noted. “
It’s not that the cold is unbearable. In fact, temperatures at this time of year range between 3°C and 0°C: “Everyone tells us ‘well, it happens everywhere in Spain’.” What affects them most is the abundance Rain and strong winds. “I prefer -20°C and dry climate. It would be more comfortable to work there. ” said Alkami. In short, the climate here is much more extreme than in the Arctic.
Those days when you can go out and sample Daily life is similar to many Spaniards in big cities: Get up at 7:00 in the morning, prepare food, and spend an hour and a half arriving at the work place. As far as they’re concerned, obviously they have to walk.
“The Office” is also very peculiar. It is located within the caldera of an active volcano. Once there, Approximately 17,000 pairs of penguins await you. “They are very friendly, very curious, very friendly. When you are outside, they always come to see what you are doing,” the researchers emphasize.
The researchers traveled to a penguin colony an hour and a half away from the base.
Usually, they stay at the penguin colony until 5 p.m.Upon arrival The Gabriel de Castilla base keeps all the evidence they collect, from feces to air samples, in a refrigerator for processing the next day.
a five star hotel
For Vazquez, this is the first time in Antarctica. What caught his attention most was that, no matter what they said about the base being uncomfortable, You can’t eat hot food cold.
Alkami knew exactly what his partner was referring to.This was his fifth expedition, but I’ve never lived on base. “inside In the case of Livingston Island, all we did was camp. They left food for us on the beach, we worked and three weeks later we were back,” he recalled.
Given these circumstances, it’s no surprise that he considers the base experience “a luxury”: “To me, it’s like a five-star hotel. You can put on your pajamas at nighthot showers and prepared food.
The seven scientists who make up the PERPANTAR project are supported by 13 Army soldiers. They are fully prepared for campaign intervention. But if things get complicated, they’ll have to look at the weather again:”Rescue efforts in the area are complex“.
When wind speeds reach 100 kilometers per hour, helicopters on nearby islands may be unable to fly. Or if the weather is bad, coming by boat will be complicated. “You have to believe that nothing will happen“, Alkami longed.
No time to disconnect
Another shortcoming of the study on site In Antarctica, your time is limited; that is, you can’t procrastinate too much, and you don’t have much time to disconnect. “I brought some books.But I haven’t finished any of them yet.“Vazquez said with a smile.
Researchers speculate that the day before she was interviewed by this newspaper Can take time to watch movies, Machete: “This seems to be a myth that persists in almost all campaigns.” Sometimes they can also drink some alcohol: “We are talking about beer or wine. High alcohol content is prohibited,” Alkami clarified.
In addition to these breaks, Vázquez recognizes that even though they don’t work 24 hours a day, they have been doing this every day since they arrived: “Disconnect, don’t disconnect. In fact, we use our free time to devote it to pending work in Spain. “
from here — or from there, for them — they’re not that disconnected. They have the “luxury” of being able to call their families and tell them how they are doing. “in the end, It’s been a long time since I left home. But if there is a chance, I will come back. I don’t know if it’s just the two of us, but I hope someone from the team can come,” Vazquez stressed.