Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in the Antarctic region after brown skunks on Bird Island in South Georgia tested positive for the virus. These are the first cases of bird flu detected in Antarctica.

Researchers have previously raised concerns about the devastating impact of the epidemic on many wildlife species in Antarctica. Government and research groups in the region are taking steps to monitor and limit the spread of the disease, including suspending most animal care operations.

Bird flu or bird flu has been around for a long time. However, recently, a highly pathogenic strain of HPAI H5N1 has emerged, which has become a matter of global concern due to its high mortality rate.

Potentially symptomatic birds and unexplained deaths were reported to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), so Bird Island staff collected samples for analysis and HPAI H5N1 was identified.

Since the current HPAI H5N1 outbreak began, large numbers of seabirds have died in North and South America, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and South Africa. Many species of seabirds, penguins and other birds live in Antarctica, and many of them are found nowhere else on Earth. These birds are often densely populated and have limited natural immunity to avian influenza due to their lack of historical exposure, making them extremely vulnerable to infection.

Earlier this month, Antarctic research teams announced they were taking extra precautions, such as protective clothing and masks, when working near seabirds to prevent the highly contagious virus from spreading to wildlife.

Infected bird droppings, feathers, and respiratory secretions spread bird flu, so the virus could spread rapidly from Bird Island to the rest of the Antarctic region, causing major epidemics and mass bird deaths.

Although a virus originating primarily from avian hosts, the current outbreak has also affected both terrestrial and marine mammals.

A risk assessment published in September by the Antarctic Wildlife Health Network shows that terns, gulls, fur seals and sea lions are at the highest risk of contracting HPAI. The population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) on Bird Island is already declining due to food shortages, apparently as a result of rising sea temperatures.

Birds migrating to South America, where HPAI cases are high, likely carried the virus to Bird Island. After HPAI arrived in South America, major outbreaks were reported in both Chile and Peru, and it spread 6,000 kilometers in just three months, following the Pacific coast of South America to its southernmost tip, Tierra del Fuego.

More than 20,000 sea lions and more than half a million seabirds have died due to HPAI H5N1 in Peru and Chile alone. Recently, the virus has spread along Argentina’s Atlantic coast, with cases seen in sea lions from Tierra del Fuego to Buenos Aires.

Although waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds play a central role in the viral cycle of wild bird flu, the virus appears to be easily transmitted between different bird species. Whether the virus is harmful to them depends on the type of virus and the species of bird. Migratory birds can easily spread viruses between countries due to their ability to fly long distances.

One way the virus spreads is through direct contact between farm birds and wild birds; This may lead to the culling of healthy birds to control the outbreak. And infection of poultry is often associated with its occurrence in humans.

Transmission of bird flu viruses to humans is extremely rare, but the World Health Organization (WHO) states: “Research is ongoing to identify any changes in the virus that may facilitate the spread of the virus among mammals, including humans.”

Authorities are closely monitoring outbreaks and providing advice and updates. The CDC explains: “The current risk of HPAI H5N1 viruses to the public remains low.”

Since 1997, there have been more than 898 cases of HPAI H5N1 human infection, sometimes resulting in severe illness and death. This does not mean that HPAI H5N1 can spread from people to us.