Deadly bird flu virus detected in Antarctica, posing risk to penguin colonies

This marks the first instance of the bird flu virus being detected in continental Antarctica, according to a report by Reuters. The Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) stated, "This discovery shows that the highly pathogenic bird flu virus has reached Antarctica despite the distances and natural barriers that separate it from other continents."

The virus was identified last Saturday in samples from dead Southern Giant Petrels. Argentine scientists discovered the infected seabirds near Antarctica's Primavera base. "The analysis clearly indicated that the birds were infected with the H5 subtype of bird flu, and at least one of the dead birds had a highly pathogenic strain of the virus," stated CSIC.

The H5N1 virus, which has recently decimated bird populations worldwide, was found among gentoo penguins on islands near the Antarctic Peninsula. Scientists have issued warnings that the bird flu's arrival in Antarctica puts the vast penguin colonies in the southern region at risk.

Hundreds of thousands of penguins congregate in tight colonies on the Antarctic continent and nearby islands, a situation that may facilitate the virus's spread, reports Reuters.