Antarctica: The Antarctic region has recorded its first deaths in the penguin population due to bird flu. The highly contagious H5N1 virus is suspected to have caused the demise of a king penguin on South Georgia island, with a second case linked to the death of a gentoo penguin. Additionally, one confirmed case of a gentoo penguin succumbing to bird flu has been documented.
While the Antarctic mainland has not reported cases of bird flu in penguins so far, the recent deaths have raised concerns among experts about a potential major outbreak of H5N1 in the penguin population. The arrival of the H5N1 virus in Antarctica at the end of the previous year has triggered alarm, emphasizing the risk it poses to the delicate ecosystem of wildlife.
Ed Hutchinson, a molecular virologist at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, warned about the potential threat, stating, “The arrival of this H5N1 virus in the Antarctic towards the end of last year rang alarm bells because of the risk it posed to wildlife in this fragile ecosystem.”
Diana Bell, emeritus professor of conservation biology at the University of East Anglia, expressed devastation and concern over the quick spread of the virus in penguin colonies. “Given their colonial social organisation, you’d just wonder how quickly it would go through the colonies,” she remarked, emphasizing the impact on those who care about penguins and the Antarctic.