‘We let [it] slip out through our fingers’

With the addition of Antarctica to the list, bird flu literally devastated all continents except Oceania. This disturbing news was confirmed by a recent study conducted by Erasmus MC in the Netherlands and the University of California, Davis.

What’s going on?

A research team has conclusively shown that more than 50 skuas in Antarctica died from the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 during the summers of 2023 and 2024. They published study It appeared in the journal Scientific Reports and contextualized his findings. newsletter.

Skuas are relatives of seagulls and play an important role in cold environments. They act as scavengers in the ecosystem, which means infectious skuas can spread bird flu anywhere.

During an expedition to the south Shetland Islands, the northern Weddell Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula, the team tested wildlife samples, confirming H5N1 in all regions. Although bird flu has been detected here before, this study was the first to confirm that the virus was the cause of death of the animals.

Although other animals, such as fur seals, had the virus, their deaths were not due to it.

“As the expedition progressed, it quickly became apparent that skuas were a major victim,” said co-senior author Ralph Vanstreels of UC Davis.

Vanstreels painted a sickening picture of “a crisis in animal suffering” with the virus causing birds to fall from the air, swim and walk aimlessly as the virus attacks their brains.

Why is the spread of bird flu important?

H5N1 was first identified in a goose farm in China in 1996 and has since spread around the world, troubling researchers.

“We let the virus slip through our fingers when it first emerged in the poultry industry,” said corresponding senior author Thijs Kuiken from Erasmus MC. “We lost our ability to control this virus once it entered wild bird populations.”

Bird flu has now hit almost every corner of the world with its harmful effects. In the US, megafarms have suffered impacts that affect both humans and animals. The virus appears to be highly adaptive and mutable when its host is a human or bovine.

There are also concerns that cats could spread the virus to humans on a large scale.

Closer to the study, declining skua populations could mean more problems for the already threatened Antarctic region. There are concerns that it could infect penguins in the future.

What is being done about bird flu in Antarctica?

Researchers have called for increased global surveillance and preventative measures to better track bird flu in Antarctica.

Kuiken: “Everything points to the fact that this virus will spread further.” concluded. “If no one is watching, we don’t know what’s going on.”

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