BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in Gentoo penguins for the first time has heightened concerns that the virus could spread among Antarctica's large penguin population, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research said.
Researchers found about 35 dead penguins in the Malvinas Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean (known as the Falkland Islands in the United Kingdom) on January 19, according to Reuters on January 30**. Ralph Feins, a veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, who works with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, said samples taken from two of the penguins tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
Local ** told Reuters that there were many more Gentoo penguins dying in similar circumstances. As of January 30, "more than 200 chicks and a few adults had died".
In recent months, avian influenza has spread in many places and the number of birds has plummeted. According to Reuters, the death of the penguins confirmed that Gentoo penguins are vulnerable to this deadly infectious disease.
However, considering that the Gentoo penguins rarely move between the Falklands (Falkland Islands) and the Antarctic Peninsula, which is located about 1,300 kilometers south of Argentina, Feinstrells believes that the penguins are unlikely to cause the avian influenza virus to spread in Antarctica, "probably playing a role as a local source of infection" and did not leave the archipelago.
The local** said it was awaiting test results for the island's rock-jumping penguins "in preparation for a large-scale outbreak."
On the nearby island of South Georgia, a suspected avian influenza infection with emperor penguins has been ruled out. (Qiao Ying).