The extremely infectious avian influenza pressure H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has killed thousands and thousands of birds and mammals throughout the globe
A colony of King Penguins in St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Islands, Antarctica. Photo: iStock
Weeks after scientists suspected and confirmed deaths of elephant and fur seals resulting from chook flu within the British Overseas Territory (BOT) of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands close to Antarctica, there at the moment are reviews of a minimum of three penguin deaths from the area.
A King penguin dying was recorded on South Georgia island, in accordance with the latest update from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). A gentoo penguin was additionally suspected to have died from H5N1 on the identical location.
Another gentoo penguin is confirmed to have died of chook flu on Sea Lion island within the Falklands, one other BOT close to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The dying of the gentoo penguin within the Falklands was reported on January 19, whereas the king penguin dying in South Georgia was reported on January 10.
Over 20 penguin chicks are reportedly useless or exhibiting signs of the illness, in accordance with SCAR.
Avian Influenza is a extremely contagious viral illness which has swept populations of birds and mammals internationally. Since 2021, its variant referred to as HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has been dominated and prompted outbreaks, resulting in the deaths of thousands and thousands of birds within the United Kingdom, South America, Europe and South Africa.
In October 2023, chook flu arrived within the sub-Antarctic area after travelling from South America by sea birds. It contaminated elephant and fur seals, brown skua and kelp gulls amongst others, leading to mass an infection and mortality.
At least 20,000 sea lions have reportedly died because of the illness in Chile and Peru alone. Over 500,000 seabirds — together with penguins, pelicans and others — have died of the illness.
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In December 2023, the primary dying of a polar bear resulting from avian flu was reported from the Arctic.
The instances prompted worry among the many scientific group, who warned of the illness reaching penguin colonies positioned within the distant components of Antarctica.
Speaking with The Guardian, Norman Ratcliffe, a seabird ecologist with the British Antarctic Survey, stated about 98 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants of fur seals was present in South Georgia. The area hosted “globally important populations of elephant and fur seals [and these] populations are now at risk from large declines”, he added.
A threat evaluation performed by researchers warned in regards to the virus ripping throughout densely populated colonies of penguins by the austral (southern) spring which will result in “one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times”.
So far, no suspected or confirmed case of an infection has been reported from mainland Antarctica, in accordance with SCAR.
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