Spanish scientists confirm their worst fears: the avian flu virus is already circulating among the penguins in Antarctica.
The expedition led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), headed by Spanish researcher Antonio Alcamí, has confirmed that the avian flu virus is present in all animal species analyzed on six islands located north of the Antarctic Peninsula, including penguins.
The avian flu virus survived the winter in Antarctica. It was detected in all animal species examined by the CSIC-UNESPA scientific expedition on the Weddell Sea islands.
The team, led by Alcamí, has been monitoring the presence of the highly pathogenic virus (HPAI H5N1) in Antarctica since January, after being the first to identify its presence on the Antarctic Peninsula in 2024.
According to the CSIC, a positive result was obtained in 42 animals, of which 28 were carcasses of species such as crabeater seals, skuas, Antarctic pigeons, Adélie penguins, and Papua penguins, and 14 were live individuals of skuas and Adélie and Papua penguins.
Risk of virus exposure
The viral load in the deceased animals was considerably high, suggesting a risk of virus exposure near the carcasses.
This discovery will allow national polar programs to prepare measures to prevent infection transmission through human means. Many of the locations where the virus was detected are frequently visited by tourist and scientific ships.
The presence of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus was confirmed in penguin colonies through air sampling. These results indicate that air sampling is an effective methodology to detect the virus without the need to handle animals.
Avian flu in apparently healthy penguins
The finding of the highly pathogenic avian flu virus in apparently healthy penguin colonies is particularly relevant. The detection in live examples of Adélie and Papua penguins suggests that the infection could be spreading in colonies without causing high mortality.
After sampling in seven areas of the Weddell Sea (including Devil, Beak, Beagle, and Heroina islands), the CSIC-UNESPA Antarctic Expedition will move south of the Antarctic Peninsula to study new areas and better understand the virus spread.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus initially evolved in poultry. It recently adapted to spread among wild fauna.
Since 2020, its spread has caused significant mortalities of wild birds and mammals worldwide, and in 2022 its arrival in South America was confirmed.
The virus expansion in Antarctica was first confirmed on February 24, 2024. In July, the presence of the virus in Antarctica was confirmed for the first time in a marine mammal. Since then, researchers have been working to determine the virus’s expansion and impact in the region.
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