Last fall, the virus, known as H5N1, finally arrived in South America. It raced quickly down the Pacific coast and killed wild birds and marine mammals in staggering numbers. “The negative impact of this virus on Antarctic wildlife could be immense — likely worse than that on South American wildlife,” the report warns. More than 100 million birds breed in Antarctica and on the islands nearby, and many marine mammals swim in the surrounding waters. Some of those species, including the distinctive emperor penguin and Antarctic fur seal, crowd together in large colonies.

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Persons: OFFLU, ”, Ralph Vanstreels, Davis Organizations: University of California Locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, United States, South America, Peru, Chile, Antarctica, Australia, American