Scientists in Antarctica are warning of the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus among the continent’s huge penguin colonies. The first cases of virus infection have already been detected among these birds.
– We are talking about a very worrying threat, said scientist Fabiola Leon from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, who took part in an expedition monitoring bird flu in Antarctica in late 2023 and early 2024.
Some species, such as emperor penguins and others, are at risk of extinction, she noted.
The Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), which organized the expedition, reported this week that bird flu virus had been detected in the region in nine white-eyed penguins and one Antarctic cormorant. The first infection was detected on the continent last month in great skuas.
Leon warned that the gregarious lifestyle of penguins and their mass movement on land could accelerate the spread of the bird flu virus among their populations.
The BBC reported this week that bird flu infection was also found in five gentoo and five king penguins on the British polar island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic.
– The concentration of wildlife on the (South Georgia) coast is simply incredible – numerous species of penguins, albatrosses and seals. If bird flu broke out here, it would have ecological consequences for the entire world. But at the moment its spread appears to be quite limited, said British ornithologist Dr Norman Ratcliffe.
