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Posted: 13th March 2024

Avian flu spreads to South Georgia penguins
King penguins have tested positive for the first time on South Georgia.
The island is considered by scientists to be an important haven for wildlife.

For the first time, king penguins and gentoo penguins have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on South Georgia, as the virus continues to spread in the sub-Antarctic region.

Five king penguins and five gentoo penguins were among the birds which were found to be infected after samples were tested at the International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, part of the UK Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency laboratories in Weybridge, Surrey.

The cases are fairly isolated, and the virus does not appear to be spreading quickly through penguin colonies, according to researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

Seabird colonies on South Georgia are among the most scientifically monitored in the world. Although some fieldwork involving close contact with certain species has been suspended, other parts of the scientific programme on the island are continuing, including the long-term monitoring of key bird species.

HPAI first reached South Georgia in October 2023, when brown skuas on Bird Island tested positive. It then spread to elephant seals and fur seals in early 2024, before infecting Antarctic terns and wandering albatross.

Norman Ratcliffe, a bird ecologist at BAS, said: “The highly pathogenic form of bird flu has been present on South Georgia since October and we are surprised penguins have only just become infected, given their high nesting densities and proximity to other species that have been affected.

“The mortality this has caused for gentoo penguins has been localised and brief but we will continue to monitor the spread and impacts of the disease. Macaroni penguins will remain vulnerable as they gather in large concentrations to moult but subsequently will disperse to sea where transmission will be low.

“Gentoo and king penguins, however, continue to form communal roosts or to breed, respectively, throughout the winter and so may remain at risk.”

Image © Shutterstock



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