Researchers detected bird flu for the first time among wild bird species in Antarctica. The latest discovery raised the concerns of researchers about the impact of the disease on those creatures that never met the virus before.
The virus was detected among species of birds called brown skua on Bird Island. These birds probably captured the virus from South America where bird flu is widespread. The Avian flu killed about 500,000 seabirds and 20,000 sea lions in Chile and Peru.
Experts are deeply concerned about its potential impact on Antarctic wildlife, as many species never experienced flu before.
Ashley Bennison from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said: “This is a particularly sad event to confirm. We will continue to monitor the species on the island as best as we can and keep the science going, but we are unsure of the full impact at the moment.”
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