A fatal strain of bird flu has been identified on Antarctica’s continent for the first time, scientists say, posing a risk to the southern region’s massive penguin colonies.
“This discovery demonstrates for the first time that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus has reached Antarctica despite the distance and natural barriers that separate it from other continents,” Argentina’s Higher Council for Scientific Investigation (CSIC) announced on Sunday.
The presence of the virus was confirmed on February 24 in samples of deceased skua seabirds discovered by Argentine scientists near the Antarctic base Primavera, CSIC stated.
The first Antarctic Peninsula case, happening after cases in nearby islands, including amongst penguin colonies as well, indicates the region to pose a risk for colonies to H5N1 avian flu which has been killing birds in the farthest corners of the world in recent months.
The birds were found that the H5 subtype of the Avian Influenza (AI) virus infected them and one of the dead birds contained avian subtype H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus,” CSIC stated in its report.
Huge masses of penguins such as the gentoo, chinstrap, and Adelie gather in densely settled colonies of huge numbers on the Antarctic continent and near by islands. This maximum number currently puts the virus to the greatest risk of getting very easily transmitted.
