Deadly bird flu reaches Antarctic continent for first time: scientists

On February 24, the virus was confirmed in samples from dead skua seabirds.

The presence of deadly bird flu has been confirmed on the Antarctic continent for the first time, posing a potential risk to the southern region’s massive penguin colony, scientists say.

“This discovery shows for the first time that a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has reached Antarctica, despite its distance and natural barriers from other continents,” Argentina’s Superior Council for Scientific Investigations (CSIC) said on Sunday.

CSIC added that on February 24, Argentinian scientists confirmed the presence of the virus in samples of dead skua seabirds found near the Antarctic Primavera base.

The confirmed cases on the Antarctic Peninsula follow cases on nearby islands, including in gentoo penguins, highlighting the risk to habitats in the region from H5N1 bird flu, which has decimated bird populations around the world in recent months Sharp decrease.

“The analysis concluded that the birds were infected with H5 subtype avian influenza, and at least one of the dead birds contained highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses,” China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation said in a statement.

Hundreds of thousands of penguins congregate on the Antarctic continent and nearby islands, forming tight colonies that allow deadly viruses to spread easily.

Data from the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research also show that one case has been confirmed at the research base.

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