Bird flu detected on the Antarctic mainland for the first time
Scientists have announced that bird flu (H5N1) has been detected on the Antarctic mainland for the first time.
AA
According to a report by The Guardian, scientists at Argentina's Antarctic scientific research station, Primavera Base, examined two dead skuas.
The scientists noted that bird flu was found in the two skuas, marking the first cases on the Antarctic mainland.
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research also reported that some suspected cases of H5N1 have been found at Hope Bay in Antarctica.
The research team's report stated, "This discovery demonstrates that, despite the natural barriers and distance that separate the continent from others, the H5N1 virus has reached Antarctica for the first time."
Meanwhile, scientists stated that bird flu continues to spread globally and that the virus may have been brought to the continent's mainland by migratory birds.
Millions of birds have died due to the bird flu, known as H5N1, since 2021.