Highly pathogenic H5N1 detected in Gentoo Penguin -- LL

Article:

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/science/antarctica-bird-flu-penguins.html

For the first time, a dead Antarctic penguin tested positive for a version of bird flu called H5N1. The H5N1 bird flu is a highly pathogenic virus that originally cropped up in 2020, eventually spreading to the tip of South America, which is how it likely made its way to Antarctica — specifically, the Falkland Islands, a British-owned territory and breeding ground for gentoo penguins. Since the penguins have likely never been exposed to the virus before, they have little immunity. Further danger is attributed to the fact that they breed in crowded groups, increasing the transmission rate from penguin to penguin.

The penguins are already threatened by numerous forces, including “climate change, pollution, and commercial fishing”, as stated by the New York Times. The virus hasn’t been found in any other local penguin species yet — including Rockhopper, Emperor, and Macaroni penguins — but its spread could be catastrophic. When the virus reached South America, thousands of deaths of Humboldt penguins were reported from Chile. 

–LL