Scientists have recorded the first cases of avian flu in the Antarctic, finding the disease has spread among migrating brown skuas.
The recent unexplained deaths of brown skuas on Bird Island in South Georgia spurred researchers with the British Antarctic Survey to test the birds for avian influenza. Swabs collected were sent to the UK for testing, and the results came back positive for H5N1, a highly contagious form of bird flu. Scientists believe the skuas contracted the disease on their yearly migration from Argentina.
A recent report on the potential impact of bird flu on the Antarctic continent warned the disease was likely to spread from South America via gulls or skuas. The arrival of bird flu would have a “devastating impact on many wildlife species in the region and could lead to catastrophic breeding failure,” said the report’s lead author, Meagan Dewar, chair of the Antarctic Wildlife Health Network.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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