In theory, these things shouldn’t happen in Antarctica, one of the most remote and protected places on Earth. But they have passed. A team of scientists from the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology of the Superior Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) has just completed a study. For the first time in history, the presence of avian influenza viruses has been confirmed in animals that died on the frozen continent.
Specifically, pathogens appear in The carcasses of two skuas (A bird related to the southern latitude gull, also called a skua). The specimens were collected by scientists from the Argentinian Antarctic base “Primavera”, following the strictest conservation protocols to avoid contamination between species. Samples of the virus were then obtained, inactivated and transferred to the Spanish Antarctic base Gabriel de Castilla on Decepcion Island for study.
over there, CSIC researchers Ángela Vázquez and Antonio Alcamí Type of pathogen confirmed: H5N1 subtype influenza virusorOne of the most pathogenic strains of avian influenza.
Came with the migratory birds
Two dead animals on the frozen plains of an isolated continent may seem like a small thing.but This incident set off all alarms. The bird carcasses were protected as highly sensitive material and the virus samples were transferred under maximum security to the Spanish base on board an Argentinian ship of the Joint Antarctic Patrol. What’s all the fuss about?
A report released by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation explained “This discovery shows for the first time that despite the distance and natural barriers between Antarctica and other continents, the most contagious viruses can appear almost anywhere on Earth”. In this case, the most likely is the H5N1 virus, which has killed millions of birds around the world since 2021 and is present on all continents except Oceania, Arriving in Antarctica riding an infected migratory bird.
mammalian infection
The pathogen arrived near the frozen continent last October. It was first discovered in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, a British territory 1,600 kilometers from the Antarctic continent. In those remote areas of the continent, it is already known to be infecting all types of birds, including albatrosses, penguins and gulls. For weeks, other sources in the Antarctic Wildlife Health Network have confirmed that The virus also affects mammals such as seals and sea lions. In northern latitudes, in December, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed First polar bear dies from bird flu This shows that the threat is also evident in the frozen north.
Spanish discoveries in the interior of the Antarctic continent pose new threats to science. In Alkami’s words, “The question now is to know how long it will take for the virus to spread to other penguin species here.” In fact, skuas and penguins live very close together, and there are many opportunities for transmission.If the virus starts killing off inland penguin colonies, which are theoretically the ones furthest from other sources of contamination, we could be facing Antarctica faces a serious ecological crisis.
And SARS-CoV-2
That’s not the only concern for experts tasked with protecting biodiversity in protected areas around Antarctica.A recent article published in a magazine science Warning issued The worsening of special isolation conditions in the region led to the emergence of this virus, or SARS CoV-2, coronavirus.
Although Antarctica is relatively remote and has Special international protection status, More and more people are visiting here, including scientists, personnel on support missions, members of the authorized fishing fleet and tourists. In December 2020, the first case of coronavirus was detected in Antarctica (Less than a year after the world’s strictest infection control measures were implemented). The virus may have been circulating on the African continent since March 2020.
The emergence of these pathogens is morning Call Antarctica is a truly special land. It is one of the most inaccessible areas on Earth, surrounded by the uninhabitable waters of the Southern Ocean. It is the only continent without a stable population It is also one of the few territories that is not the subject of sovereignty disputes. In fact, since the 1950s it has been an elaborate scientific research laboratory with impressive conservation measures. But in the opinion of more and more experts, The condition of this mostly intact shelter may be starting to crack. The emergence of pathogens that are widespread in other inhabited places is forcing us to reconsider whether today’s frozen continent is really an unbroken treasure.
The end of the “Antarctic exception”
articles scienceThe agreement, signed by scientists from New Zealand and the British Antarctic Survey, literally states that “Antarctica’s interior lands can no longer be considered separate from the rest of the planet.” The so-called “Antarctic exception” is coming to an end.
In fact, some scientific authorities have begun to suggest Redefining work and visit protocols in the continent’s most sensitive areas. Antarctica remains a “natural reserve dedicated to science and peace,” according to the treaty that defines environmental protection in the region and was signed in Madrid in 1991, with 42 countries making commitments.but It is no longer as non-threatening as we thought it was.