Bird flu detected in Antarctica region for the first time, experts raise concerns

Experts have raised concerns after avian influenza, or bird flu, was detected in the Antarctica region for the first time. British experts say that the deadly virus could pose a threat to penguins and other local species.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said its staff at Bird Island, which is a remote British research station, noticed that a type of bird called skuas were sick and dying in South Georgia.

The tests were sent to Britain and the brown skua seabirds were found positive for avian influenza, said the UK's Polar Research Institute in a statement on Monday (Oct 23).

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It added that the virus was most likely brought by birds returning from their migration to South America, where there has been a huge number of bird flu cases.

The virus has already killed an estimated 500,000 seabirds and 20,000 sea lions in Chile and Peru alone.

The statement added that the visitors to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are under enhanced biosecurity measures. They also added that in that region, the scientific fieldwork involving birds has been stopped.

There have been regular bird flu outbreaks since the virus first emerged in 1996. Much larger outbreaks started to spread southward to previously untouched areas, including South America since mid-2021. It led to mass deaths among wild birds and tens of millions of poultry being culled.

Michelle Wille, who is a bird flu expert at the University of Melbourne, said the spread of bird flu to the Antarctica region was "devastating news".

She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "The situation could change rapidly."

As quoted by The Guardian, Ashley Bennison, the BAS science manager for Bird Island, said: "This is a particularly sad event to confirm. We will continue to monitor the species on the island as best as we can and keep the science going, but we are unsure of the full impact at the moment."

Ian Brown, virology head at the UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency, warned last week that there was a risk migrating birds could spread the virus from South America to the Antarctica islands and then onto the main landmass.

This could be a "real concern" for populations of birds such as penguins that are unique to Antarctica, he told journalists.

(With inputs from agencies)

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