Just months after the spread of avian flu was first confirmed in Antarctica's wild birds, the virus has now been detected for the first time in the region's mammals, which include elephant seals and fur seals on the island of South Georgia.
In a statement, the South Georgia and South Sandwich government said following the detection of the virus in wild birds in October, scientists spent 3 weeks aboard a British navy vessel visiting affected islands and collecting samples from dead mammals and birds. Sequencing has identified the H5N1 strain in samples from the two seal species, as well as birds, including brown skuas, kelp gulls, and Antarctic terns.
"The available genomic surveillance data continues to suggest no widespread mammalian adaptation of the virus. There remains no increased risk to human health—the risk of human infection with H5N1 remains very low," the government said.
Animal health groups have warned about the risk of virus spread to Antarctica's wildlife populations, with 48 bird species and 26 mammal species living in the region, often in dense colonies. The latest detections follow further southward spread of the virus, raising worries that the virus could jump to Oceania.
Countries report more outbreaks in poultry, wild birds
Elsewhere, European countries and Japan reported more highly pathogenic avian flu detections in wild birds and poultry, according to the latest notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health. In Europe, Germany reported an outbreak at a poultry farm in Bavaria state, and Denmark reported more detections in wild birds from six locations. And in Japan, animal health officials reported the H5N5 strain in a large-billed crow found dead in Hokkaido prefecture.
