KUWAIT CITY, Oct 30: Researchers have confirmed the presence of a new strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in the Antarctic region, after brown croakers on Bird Island, South Georgia, tested positive for the virus. These are the first identified cases of bird flu in Antarctica.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) was informed of potentially symptomatic birds and unexplained deaths, so staff at Bird Island collected samples for analysis, and the HPAI strain was discovered.

Government and research teams in the region are taking measures to monitor and limit the spread of the disease, including suspending most animal handling work.

The HPAI H5N1 virus recently emerged as a highly contagious strain, and has become a subject of global concern due to the high death rates resulting from it.

Researchers had previously expressed concern about the devastating impact the outbreak could have on many Antarctic wildlife species.

Since the start of the current HPAI outbreak, large numbers of seabirds have died throughout North and South America, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as in the southern part of Africa.

Earlier this month, Antarctic research teams announced they were implementing additional measures such as protective clothing and masks when working near seabirds, to avoid transmitting the highly contagious virus to wildlife themselves.

The droppings, feathers, and respiratory secretions of infected birds spread bird flu so that the virus can quickly move from Bird Island to the rest of the Antarctic region, leading to widespread disease outbreaks and the deaths of large numbers of birds.

Although it is a virus that primarily infects birds, the current outbreak has also affected mammals in terrestrial and marine environments.

A risk assessment published by the Antarctic Wildlife Health Network in September indicates that jays, gulls, fur seals and sea lions are most at risk of contracting the bird flu virus.

It is likely that birds returning from their migration to South America, where there are a large number of cases of HPAI infection, are what transmitted the virus to Bird Island.

Large-scale outbreaks have been reported in Chile and Peru since severe bird flu arrived in South America.

More than 20,000 sea lions and more than half a million seabirds have died in Peru and Chile alone as a result of the HPAI virus. The virus recently spread to the Atlantic coast of Argentina, with cases discovered in sea lions.

It should be noted that human infection caused by avian influenza viruses is not very common, although the World Health Organization states that “studies are underway to identify any changes in the virus that may help it spread more easily among mammals, including humans.”