Fears of landing in Antarctica? Bird Watcher's Paradise Galapagos Islands reported cases of avian influenza, which have spread to the South American sector | Death | Infection | Discovery | Mammals | Argentina | Sea Lion | Avian Influenza
On the 19th local time, the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador announced that three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been found in the Galapagos Islands. For safety reasons, some tourist attractions have been closed and corresponding measures have been taken.
On the 18th local time, staff at Galapagos National Park tested a red footed booby.
According to a park statement cited by Agence France Presse, after receiving reports of clearly diseased birds on multiple islands in the archipelago, staff tested three positive cases of H5N1 avian influenza virus. The collected samples will also be sent to other health institutions for retesting.
The Galapagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, more than 1000 kilometers from Ecuador, and are home to many rare flora and fauna. British biologist Charles Darwin investigated this island during his circumnavigation and found relevant evidence for its evolutionary theory.
Sea iguanas and blue footed boobies on the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are a paradise for birdwatchers. According to the Ecuadorian environmental department, it is the home of 78 endemic bird species, such as the blue footed booby with unique mating rituals, as well as unique penguin, cormorant, and albatross species.
For a period of time, avian influenza has erupted in many parts of the world, mainly affecting poultry, wild birds, and some mammals.
The relevant departments of Ecuador stated in December last year that a monitoring system had been established in the Galapagos Islands as the global avian influenza epidemic spread to South America.
A report shows that dozens of sea lions in Argentina have died from avian influenza
The latest report from the Argentine Department of Animal Health shows that numerous sea lions have been found dead from avian influenza infection in multiple locations along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, from the capital Buenos Aires to the southernmost province of Santa Cruz.
On August 29th local time, Agence France Presse reported, citing a statement from the environmental department in Patagonia, that 50 sea lions with symptoms consistent with avian influenza have been found dead so far. A local official who declined to be named said that the number of sea lion deaths is still increasing and there is "no treatment plan".
The Argentine authorities require people to avoid beaches with cases of sea lion avian influenza. The coastline of Argentina is approximately 5000 kilometers long.
According to Agence France Presse, avian influenza is currently erupting in many parts of the world, with ongoing infections in mammals, raising public concerns that the virus may be more susceptible to infecting humans. Sea lions, seals, and walruses are both marine mammals. An adult male sea lion can weigh up to 300 kilograms.
Argentina reported its first avian influenza outbreak of the year on February 15th, and more cases have been found in poultry and wild birds since then. However, Argentina has not yet detected human infection with the avian influenza virus.
A joint statement released by the World Health Organization and other United Nations agencies in mid July stated that although avian influenza mainly affects poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, it still poses a sustained risk to humans.
Is avian influenza virus likely to make landfall in Antarctica? These populations will be threatened!
According to a recent report by The New York Times, scientists are currently concerned that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that has been circulating globally in the past three years may soon spread to Antarctica, posing a huge threat to wild birds and mammals in Antarctica.
The latest report shows that in this round of avian influenza epidemic, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was first discovered in Europe in the autumn of 2020, and then spread along migratory bird routes from Europe to Africa, Asia, and South America. In June 2023, this strain first appeared in sea lions living in southern Chile, which is only 1072 kilometers away from Antarctica. The report suggests that due to many birds foraging in South America and Antarctica, as well as many birds flocking to breeding grounds in Antarctica before the arrival of spring in the southern hemisphere, virus landing in Antarctica has become a highly probable event.
Scientists say that over 100 million birds live on Antarctica and its nearby islands, and many marine mammals also live in groups in the nearby waters. Due to the fact that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has never landed in Antarctica, the animals here do not possess antibodies. Once the virus successfully lands, it will pose a great threat to the populations of Antarctic emperor penguins, seabirds, and seals.
