Greater than 1300 younger elephant seals have died as a result of fowl flu in Argentina, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reported. That is the primary time the fowl flu virus has brought on mass fatalities amongst seals within the nation.
The animals have been discovered useless alongside the shores of the Valdés Peninsula within the southern province of Chubut. Laboratory exams confirmed that the infant elephant seals fell sufferer to the H5N1 fowl flu virus. The virus has additionally affected seagulls and varied different birds.
Beneath typical circumstances, the mortality price for new child elephant seals is 1 p.c. Nonetheless, the unfold of the fowl flu virus has led to a mortality price starting from 56 to 74 p.c this 12 months.
There’s little data out there on grownup seals. The WCS has began a mission to fight the virus’s unfold amongst each animal and human populations.
UPDATE: Lab outcomes verify large current mortality occasion in elephant seal colonies in Argentina is from avian influenza. @wcsargentina is working to stop the unfold of the illness, decrease the influence on animals, and keep away from potential spillover an infection of individuals. #OneHealth pic.twitter.com/aaL2puX4At
— WCS 💚 (@TheWCS) October 27, 2023
South Georgia, a British island within the southern Atlantic Ocean and infrequently thought-about an extension of Antarctica, is residence to the world’s largest breeding colony of elephant seals.
Not too long ago, confirmed circumstances of H5N1 an infection have emerged among the many island’s fowl inhabitants, sparking fears that the tens of 1000’s of seals dwelling there may be affected. The virus’s potential transmission by seabirds to the mainland of Antarctica and different surrounding islands is a major concern.
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