12 March 2024 , 04:00
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Bird flu, a potentially deadly virus, has been detected in king penguins near Antarctica by UK scientists.
The animal disease experts based at Apha have been looking for the H5N1 virus on South Georgia island as some skuas were found unwell there during October. Earlier, this dangerous bug was spotted in elephant and fur seals and then spread to terns and wandering seabirds like albatrosses living in the Antarctic.
This nasty virus has now popped up in five king penguins on the Southern Coast of South Georgia and five gentoo penguins from nearby Bird Island. Testing confirmed this in samples that were sent all the way back to a lab in Weybridge, Surrey, that specialises in bird flu and diseases.
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Scientists said that while it's only in a few places at the moment, they're worried the virus might spread in winter as that is when penguins love to gather together to have their babies. It's most likely the H5N1 arrived here when birds came across from South America.
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While it is not a great danger to people, experts say this virus could seriously hurt the unique and fragile animal life living in Antarctic. Professor Ash Banyard from Apha said: "South Georgia is home to some of our most unique and special wildlife and is of great importance to international biodiversity, so it is sad to witness the effects of avian influenza on these populations."
He added: "However, these cases remain fairly isolated, and we are not seeing a rapid spread through penguin colonies." Bird flu has been discovered in seals across Europe and America, as well as in mink in northern Spain and foxes and otters in England. Even Alaskan polar bears in the Arctic have tested positive for the virus.