Adélie penguins in Antarctica face new threat from bird flu
For the first time, the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected in deceased birds in Antarctica. This virulent form of avian influenza is advancing southward along the Antarctic Peninsula, posing significant risks to local wildlife, including penguin populations.
Experts express concern as the disease has previously devastated seabird and marine mammal populations in other regions. In recent surveys between November 2024 and January 2025, researchers encountered 35 dead skuas—birds known to scavenge on corpses—at 16 nesting sites, with 11 samples testing positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.
The skuas in this region are hybrids of south polar and brown skuas, which increases their risk of infection as they feed on infected species. Recent reports indicate that dead penguins have also been discovered, raising alarms regarding the potential for a widespread outbreak among penguin colonies.
Due to their breeding habits in dense colonies, the fear is that H5N1 could swiftly propagate among Adélie penguins, potentially leading to significant population declines. While some penguin species may show resistance to the virus, the overall threat remains serious.
The H5N1 strain has been notably widespread, tracing back to outbreaks across Europe, Asia, and Africa since 2020, with major impacts on wild bird populations and the poultry industry. In 2023, it resulted in the loss of a quarter of the UK’s gannet population.
The virus expanded to North America in 2021, later establishing infections within livestock, including dairy cows. By late 2022, it reached the southern tip of South America, impacting numerous species of marine life and birds across the region.
In December 2023 and January 2024, additional signs of H5N1 infection were reported among living Adélie penguins and Antarctic shags, corroborating the virus’s presence on the continent.
Concerns grow over reported skua deaths, as some local species occupy limited geographical areas and could face extinction due to this outbreak. While initial tests confirmed the presence of H5 flu in skuas, further testing is being conducted to ascertain its pathogenicity.
Recent findings from researchers on the Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagos in the Indian Ocean show that H5N1 has also been lethal to elephant seals and various bird species, illustrating the virus is moving closer to Australian and New Zealand territories, the last major regions yet to report infections.
