Why in news?

Avian flu has made its chilling debut in Antarctica, sparking concerns for the vulnerable populations of penguins and seals that have never encountered the deadly H5N1 virus before.

Where is Bird Island situated?

Bird Island forms part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

It is situated several hundred miles off the southeast coast of the Falkland Islands,and is renowned as one of the world’s most biodiverse hotspots.

It is home to approximately 50,000 breeding pairs of penguins and an astounding 65,000 pairs of fur seals.

The island also provides a refuge for numerous endangered bird species.

The introduction of avian flu into this fragile ecosystem could lead to catastrophic breeding failure and mortality events.

What is brown skua?

The brown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), also known as the Antarctic skua, subantarctic skua, southern great skua or southern skua is a large seabird that breeds in the subantarctic and Antarctic zones and moves further north when not breeding.

It feeds on fish , penguin chicks and other seabirds, small mammals, eggs and carrion.

These migratory birds likely brought the H5N1 virus with them from South America, where bird flu has already claimed the lives of around 500,000 seabirds and 20,000 sea lions in Chile and Peru alone.

What is H5N1?

H5N1, a subtype of avian flu classified as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), is notorious for its severe impact and high mortality rate among poultry populations.

In Peru and Chile alone, more than 500,000 seabirds and over 20,000 sea lions have succumbed to HPAI H5N1 this year.

The ongoing outbreak of H5N1, which started in 2021, has claimed the lives of countless birds.

Earlier this year, thousands of sea lions in South America were found dead due to H5N1.

When was the first outbreak of H5N1 strain was reported in humans?

The first reported outbreak of this strain in humans occurred in Hong Kong in 1997, and it has since spread worldwide. The current outbreak is caused by a highly virulent form of the H5N1 sub-type.

The current outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 variant, which originated in 2021 in Europe, has already taken a devastating toll on millions of wild birds. In 2022, the virus was first detected in South America, rapidly spreading from Colombia to Chile within a mere three months.

Concerns have long been raised about the potential impact on Antarctic wildlife, as many species are found exclusively in this remote region and have never been exposed to avian flu viruses.