Bird flu found in mammals near Antarctica for first time, scientists say

A scientist tests a dead seal on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean for avian influenza, a disease which has already killed millions of birds and is now present in wildlife living near Antarctica, December 2023. [Reuters]

Bird flu has made its way into fur and elephant seal populations for the first time on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, a team of scientists confirmed Thursday, setting off alarm bells for conservationists as the highly contagious disease has already killed millions of birds worldwide.

Scientists first suspected the presence of avian influenza near Antarctica in October 2023, following the death of several brown skua seabirds on Bird Island, part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.