Scientists have confirmed the emergence of a deadly strain of bird flu on the mainland of Antarctica for the first time, posing a potential threat to large penguin colonies in the southern continent. The Spanish High Council for Scientific Research stated this discovery on Sunday, "This discovery proves for the first time that the highly contagious avian influenza virus has reached Antarctica despite the distance and natural barriers separating it from other continents."
The council noted that the presence of the virus was confirmed on February 24 in samples taken from seabirds found by Argentine scientists near the Primavera Base on the continent. The confirmed case in Antarctica follows reports of infections in nearby islands, including among Gentoo penguins, indicating a serious risk to penguin colonies in the region from the H5N1 virus, which has led to the deaths of large numbers of birds worldwide in recent months.
The High Council for Scientific Research stated in a release, "Tests have conclusively shown that the birds were infected with the H5 avian influenza virus, and at least one of the dead birds contained the highly contagious avian influenza virus." Hundreds of thousands of penguins gather in densely packed colonies in Antarctica and nearby islands, facilitating the easy spread of the deadly virus. Data from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research currently confirms infections at its research base.
