The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has reported the discovery of a deadly strain of bird flu, H5N1, in gentoo penguins for the first time.
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has reported the discovery of a deadly strain of bird flu, H5N1, in gentoo penguins for the first time.
The ominous findings come after about 35 gentoo penguins were found dead on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic on January 19. Two of the deceased penguins tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to Ralph Vanstreels, a veterinarian affiliated with SCAR.
Disturbingly, the Falkland Islands government revealed that the mortality rate among gentoo penguins is escalating, with over 200 chicks and a few adults succumbing to similar circumstances as of January 30, raising concerns about the potential spread of the virus. The susceptibility of gentoo penguins to this lethal disease adds a new dimension to the global crisis that has already decimated bird populations in recent months.
While gentoo penguins are not known for traveling extensively between the Falklands and the Antarctic Peninsula, which is located approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) to the south, Vanstreels emphasized that they could play a different role.
He suggested that gentoo penguins might serve as local reservoirs of infection, maintaining a pool of susceptible hosts that remain on the islands. This raises concerns about the potential for a sustained outbreak among the penguin colonies in the region.
“The role that gentoo penguins could have, instead, is to serve as local reservoirs of infection,” said Vanstreels. “That is, maintain a pool of susceptible hosts that never leaves the islands.”
Government spokesperson Sally Heathman noted that the Falkland Islands authorities are anxiously awaiting test results from rockhopper penguins and are gearing up for the possibility of a large-scale outbreak. Meanwhile, in South Georgia, a detailed survey of the site ruled out bird flu suspected in king penguins, according to Meagan Dewar, who leads SCAR’s Antarctic Wildlife Health Network.
The tight-knit colonies of hundreds of thousands of penguins in the Antarctic continent and nearby islands present an alarming potential for the virus to spread easily between individuals. Conservationists express particular concern for other species, as hundreds of thousands of penguins gather in densely packed colonies.
Vanstreels highlighted that elephant seals and fur seals in South Georgia have suffered significant casualties due to bird flu, following similar mass deaths in these species in South America.
“This is especially concerning because South Georgia is home to 95 percent of the world’s population of Antarctic fur seals. If that population collapses, the species will be in a critical situation,” warned Vanstreels.
As the scientific community closely monitors the situation, there is a growing recognition of the need for urgent measures to prevent the further spread of the H5N1 virus among Antarctic wildlife. Authorities are working to understand the dynamics of the outbreak and developing strategies to mitigate its impact on penguin and seal populations.
The potential consequences for the delicate balance of the Antarctic ecosystem underscore the critical importance of global cooperation in addressing emerging threats to wildlife in remote and vulnerable regions.