Officials have confirmed the presence of bird flu on the mainland of Antarctica for the first time. The highly contagious H5N1 virus was identified on Friday in two deceased scavenging birds known as skuas near the Primavera Base, Argentina’s scientific research station on the Antarctic peninsula.
Additional suspected cases have been reported in brown skuas, south polar skuas, and kelp gulls in Hope Bay, also situated on the Antarctic peninsula, as disclosed by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
A Spanish government report on Sunday emphasized the significance of this discovery, stating, “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.”
These confirmed cases mark the virus’s spread in the region, likely facilitated by migratory birds. The ongoing H5N1 outbreak has already claimed millions of wild birds worldwide since 2021, affecting every continent except Oceania.
The virus initially reached the wider Antarctic region in October of the previous year, first reported on sub-Antarctic islands. Originating in the British overseas territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, located about 1,000 miles away from Antarctica, it also reached the Falkland Islands, situated 600 miles northwest of South Georgia.
While initially reported in birds such as gulls, skuas, and terns, the avian flu has since spread to albatrosses, penguins, southern fulmars, and even Antarctic mammals, resulting in mass deaths of elephant seals and fur seals. In December, it was confirmed that the first polar bear had succumbed to H5N1.
Matthew Dryden from the UK Health Security Agency highlighted the challenges of reporting on the Antarctic mainland due to difficulties in accessing and sampling wildlife. He stated, “There are many reports now of highly pathogenic avian influenza affecting several species in the Antarctic regions this season.”
Argentinian scientists discovered the infected birds on the mainland and sent them to researchers at the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa in Madrid, working at the Spanish Antarctic base on Deception Island.
Antonio Alcamí, a researcher from the Spanish National Research Council, expressed concerns about the virus potentially transmitting to penguins, emphasizing the need for monitoring. Past outbreaks in South Africa, Chile, and Argentina have shown penguins’ susceptibility to the virus, resulting in over 500,000 seabird deaths.
Diana Bell, emeritus professor of conservation biology at the University of East Anglia, remarked that the news was sadly not surprising, given the virus’s previous presence on Antarctic islands. Matthew Dryden emphasized the importance of biosecurity to prevent human exposure to the virus, despite limited options to control its spread in wildlife.
