Bird flu detected in mainland Antarctica for 1st time

By Nuri Aydin

Bird flu has been detected on mainland Antarctica for the first time, scientists said.

The H5N1 virus was found in two dead scavenging birds called skuas, according to Argentina's Higher Council for Scientific Investigation (CSIC).

“This discovery demonstrates for the first time that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus has reached Antarctica despite the distance and natural barriers that separate it from other continents,” it said.

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research has also reported additional suspected cases of the H5N1 virus in Hope Bay, Antarctica.

Since 2021, millions of birds are thought to have died due to the virus.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi