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Bird flu has made its means into fur and elephant seal populations for the primary time on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, a group of scientists confirmed on Thursday, setting off alarm bells for conservationists because the extremely contagious illness has already killed tens of millions of birds worldwide.
Scientists first suspected the presence of avian influenza close to Antarctica in October 2023, following the demise of a number of brown skua seabirds on Bird Island, a part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Then, elephant seals began dying en masse.
In December, scientists with Britain’s Animal and Plant Health and Agency (APHA) and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) spent three weeks within the affected islands, gathering samples from useless mammals and birds.
Those samples examined optimistic for chicken flu (HPAI H5N1) in elephant seals, fur seals, brown skuas, kelp gulls and Antarctic terns, scientists mentioned Thursday.
“Given Antarctica is such a unique and special biodiversity hotspot it is sad and concerning to see the disease spread to mammals in the region,” mentioned APHA scientific providers director Ian Brown.
The present worldwide outbreak of H5N1, which started in 2021, has killed tens of millions of birds on poultry farms, and scientists concern its affect on Antarctic wildlife might be devastating. The virus has the potential to contaminate 48 species of birds and 26 species of marine mammals, in keeping with a report printed final month by OFFLU, a world community of animal influenza consultants.
The analysed samples indicated migratory birds from South America had doubtless launched the virus to South Georgia.
“Seals, that are known to scavenge, may become infected when they consume infected bird carcasses,” mentioned ecologist Alastair Ward on the University of Leeds.
Thousands of seals and tons of of 1000’s of birds congregate in dense colonies in Antarctica which may permit the virus to simply leap between people, leading to excessive mortality, OFFLU mentioned.
Penguins, Antarctica’s most iconic animals, don’t but look like impacted by the virus, with no reviews exhibiting above-average penguin mortality.
BAS which operates two analysis stations on South Georgia has largely suspended scientific fieldwork involving human contact with animals following the confirmed circumstances. The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators has additionally instructed boats to not land at some websites on South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, out of warning.
Fueling international concern in regards to the virus’ unfold to imperiled wildlife populations, Alaskan officers confirmed final week the primary recognized case of a polar bear dying of H5N1.
“If a bird is weakened by avian influenza, or succumbs to it, polar bears aren’t fussy about what eat,” Andrew Derocher, a polar bear biologist on the University of Alberta, instructed Reuters.
“If it’s dead and it’s edible they’ll probably eat it. There is a high likelihood of an interaction between climate change, avian influenza, bird mortality and polar bears.”
