For the first time, the virus that causes bird flu has been found in two dead birds in Antarctica, specifically near Argentina’s Primavera base. This discovery would account for the deaths of many birds there and would raise much concern about the ecological future of the continent.
Antarctica therefore risks disaster. Scientists from the Severo Ochoa Centre for Molecular Biology of the Superior Council for Scientific Research analysed the virus present in the sample of some birds found dead near the Primavera base that belonged to the Stercorarius species that is used to live in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
The studies were carried out by limiting the possibility of virus transfer and rendering them inactive. Analyses thus revealed that the infection spread among the birds came from the H5 subtype of avian influenza and that one of them had the pathogenic virus.
This is the first time avian influenza has been confirmed in Antarctica despite the distances and natural barriers that distinguish this region of the world. The next step after this discovery is to set up prevention programmes.