SEO/BirdLife says H5N1 bird flu variant preys on seabirds

Madrid, 11 August (EFE) – The H5N1 virus has killed thousands of seabirds in the northern hemisphere since 2021 and is rapidly spreading southwards, reaching undetected regions of the world, SEO/BirdLife reports. area. , which ensures that this is the worst bird flu pandemic to date.

The latest outbreak, which has mainly affected seabirds, is so far unusual, with Sardinia, European colonies of kittiwakes and guillemots most susceptible to the virus this year, the conservation group said, warning of concerns about seabirds. Rapid expansion and adaptation of birds. Infect the virus to a new host.

According to the same source, more than a hundred cases of wild birds have been observed in Spain, endangering populations of sensitive species such as sandwich terns and black-billed terns, which have been shown to die from the disease in natural parks. Case. Albufeira in Valencia.

Against this backdrop, SEO/BirdLife is calling for improvements to the conservation status of seabirds to increase their resilience to such events.

Avian influenza viruses have been detected in about 400 bird species since 2021, with outbreaks in the past two years mainly affecting seabirds, particularly Atlantic gannets (Scotland), great skuas (UK), sandwich terns ( Northwest Europe), Scarlet Pelican (Greece) or Black-headed Gull (UK).

Lucía Soliño, a technician with the SEO/BirdLife Ocean Project, warned that the populations “will take decades to recover, if successful,” because breeding samples are the worst affected.

Solinho added that although seabirds are very long-lived animals, they have a longer maturation period and fewer chicks, which is why it is “catastrophic” for breeding individuals to be devastated by the pandemic, he stressed Said they didn’t do that. Viruses are expected to spread rapidly and adapt to new hosts.

Spain Andalusia Autonomous Region, Catalonia Autonomous Region, Galicia Autonomous Region, Basque Country, Aragon Autonomous Region, Castilla-Leon Autonomous Region, Castilla-La Mancha Autonomous Region, Cantabria There have been 7 outbreaks of poultry, 1 outbreak of captive birds and 117 outbreaks of wild birds in the Autonomous Region and the Autonomous Region of Extremadura. In Madrid, La Rioja, Asturias, Murcia and Valencia, it is necessary to strengthen surveillance and biosecurity measures.

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