August 12, 2025Open Access

Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations

FLFabiola LeónInstituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas CBCéline Le BohecCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique EPEduardo PizarroPontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Key Points

The survey found evidence of HPAIV H5 in Antarctic seabird populations, marking a potential first for the continent.
Nine seabirds, including pygoscelis adeliae and leucocarbo bransfieldensis, tested positive for HPAIV H5.
The research conducted RT-PCR to confirm H5 segments at two locations along the Antarctic Peninsula.
These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance of avian influenza in extreme environments.

Abstract

An extensive survey for the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (HPAIV) H5 in seabird species is reported here. It was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, in thirteen breeding sites spanning from the northeastern sector of the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea, including the coasts of the Bellingshausen Sea and the Amundsen Sea. Nine individuals from Pygoscelis adeliae and Leucocarbo bransfieldensis tested positive for RT-PCR amplification of a H5 segment of HPAIV in two different locations on the Antarctic Peninsula. This study suggests the possibility of the first cases of HPAIV H5 in the Antarctic continent, potentially adding two new species to the list of infected species. It also highlights the southernmost suspected cases identified to date of surveillance, and notably, no cases were detected between the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea.

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