Bird Flu Outbreak Expands to Sub-Antarctic Mammals, UK Reports
Highly contagious bird flu outbreak in sub-Antarctic spreads to mammals, threatening fragile ecosystem British officials warn of significant dangers to the region
A highly contagious outbreak of bird flu in the sub-Antarctic has crossed over to mammals, according to British officials on Thursday. Experts are concerned about the significant threat this disease poses to the delicate ecosystem of the region. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) confirmed the first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the Antarctic region in brown skua on Bird Island, South Georgia, a British overseas territory in the Southern Atlantic Ocean in October.
The United Kingdom's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) announced in a news release on Thursday that the presence of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed for the first time in mammals in the sub-Antarctic. The disease was found in elephant and fur seals on South Georgia, located east of South America's tip and just above Antarctica's mainland.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that bird flu is a result of infections that naturally occur in wild aquatic birds. Infected birds can spread the virus to other animals through their saliva and bodily discharges.
According to BAS, their analysis in October indicated that the virus was probably brought to South Georgia through the migration of birds from South America.
During December, APHA and BAS experts spent three weeks gathering samples from deceased mammals and birds on the impacted islands. The samples taken from elephant seals, fur seals, brown skuas, kelp gulls, and Antarctic terns have been found to be positive for HPAI H5N1, according to APHA.
Fragile ecosystem at risk
Antarctica and its surrounding islands support over 100 million breeding birds, six seal species, and 17 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The global avian influenza experts network OFFLU has previously cautioned about the potential for "efficient virus transmission" in this area.
Ian Brown, director of scientific services at APHA, expressed sadness and concern over the spread of disease to mammals in the region, considering Antarctica's status as a unique and special biodiversity hotspot.
Satellite image of the world's largest iceberg, A23a, in Antarctica on November 15, 2023, provided courtesy of the European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3/Handout via Reuters. This image has been supplied by a third party and mandatory credit is required.
The largest iceberg in the world is currently shifting its position. Should the avian influenza spread further in the sub-Antarctic area, there is a significant risk to the delicate ecosystem. This could potentially endanger numerous large populations of seabirds and sea mammals.
Samples collected from albatross and giant petrel colonies on Bird Island yielded negative test results, according to APHA. The agency also stated that there have been no reports of higher-than-usual mortality in any penguin species up to this point.
As a precaution, BAS, which runs two research stations on South Georgia, has suspended "most fieldwork involving contact with animals."
Last year, a number of countries faced unprecedented bird flu outbreaks. In Japan, almost 10 million birds were culled in an effort to contain the disease, leading to a shortage of poultry and a sharp increase in egg prices.
