First Case of Bird Flu Confirmed on Mainland Antarctica, Scientists Raise Alarm

Antarctica – In a shocking discovery, scientists have revealed that the deadly bird flu virus has reached the mainland of Antarctica for the first time. According to The Guardian, the Argentinian scientific research station operating on the Antarctic peninsula stated that the H5N1 virus was found on Friday. As per the reports, the virus was found in two dead scavenging birds called skuas near Primavera Base. In addition to this, suspected cases have also been reported in brown skua, south polar skua and kelp gull in Hope Bay which are also located in the frozen peninsula. 

“This discovery demonstrates for the first time that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has reached Antarctica, despite the distance and natural barriers that separate it from other continents,” the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research said in their latest report. These are the first confirmed cases and indicate that the virus is spreading in the region, most likely via migratory birds. The outbreak of the H5N1 virus is responsible for killing millions of wild birds globally since the year 2021, The Guardian reported. 

The flu reached Antarctica in October 

As per the reports, the deadly flu reached the wider region of Antarctica in October last year. At that time the committee reported the case on sub-Antarctic islands. The virus was first detected on the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, about 1,000 miles (1,600km) away from the continent of Antarctica. Not only this, the virus was also found in the Falkland Islands, which is 600 miles north-west of South Georgia. The dead birds from mainland Antarctica were found by Argentinian scientists who eventually sent their findings to scientists from the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa in Madrid.

“The problem is how long is it going to take before it transmits to other species like penguins. We need to monitor that,” said Antonio Alcamí, a researcher from the Spanish National Research Council. “I’m afraid I think it probably will transmit to penguins. The skuas live pretty close, and so there are many opportunities for transmission, but we will see," he added. In the past, outbreaks of the virus in South Africa, Chile and Argentina have shown that penguins are susceptible to the virus.