Avian flu detected in penguins on Falkland Islands – Yahoo News

The Falkland Islands government has confirmed that there have been two confirmed cases of bird flu among gentoo penguins on Sea Lion Island, which is part of the British overseas territory.

"Further results [are] pending, there are however many more dying in similar circumstances," a spokeswoman said. So far, more than 200 chicks and some adults have been found dead.

Sea Lion Island - a popular excursion destination - has been closed to visitors since January 19, as has Steeple Jason Island in the north-west.

Test results from rockhopper penguins are currently awaited from there, the spokeswoman added.

The government of the Falkland Islands has been working with the population for some time to prepare for a large-scale outbreak of the H5N1 virus.

"Everyone understands the importance of the wildlife in the Islands and that it is our duty to do as much as we can to protect it," the spokeswoman said.

As the British newspaper The Guardian reported, there is also at least one suspected case in a king penguin on the island of South Georgia, around 1,500 kilometres from the Falkland Islands, also a British overseas territory.

Only recently, British scientists announced that they had discovered bird flu in mammals near Antarctica for the first time. The pathogen had been detected in elephant seals and fur seals.

The virus was first detected in the region in October in brown skua on Bird Island near South Georgia.

Experts warn that the spread of the virus is jeopardizing Antarctica's unique ecosystem. There have also recently been several cases of bird flu in the Arctic.

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Avian flu detected in penguins on Falkland Islands - Yahoo News