CNN —The first cases of bird flu have been detected in seabirds in the Antarctic, according to the British Antarctic Survey, raising fears the disease will spread rapidly through dense colonies of birds and mammals.
“Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in brown skua populations on Bird Island, South Georgia – the first known cases in the Antarctic region,” the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement Monday.
South Georgia is part of the British overseas territory east of South America’s tip and just above Antarctica’s main landmass.
The British Antarctic Survey believes the birds carried the disease on their return from migration to South America.
The British Antarctic Survey, which is responsible for the UK’s national scientific activities in Antarctica, operates two research stations on South Georgia, including one at Bird Island where the confirmed cases were identified.
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Organizations:
CNN, British Antarctic Survey, South Georgia –, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Organisation for Animal Health
Locations:
South Georgia, Georgia, South, South America, Antarctica, Bird, Japan