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Southern Elephant Seals

All articles tagged with #southern elephant seals

world1 month ago•281 min saved

H5N1 Bird Flu Kills Thousands of Sub‑Antarctic Seal Pups, Traced to Crozet Islands

A deadly H5N1 bird flu outbreak has killed an estimated 13,000 southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island and McDonald Island, with a 76% mortality rate across about 17,000 births; several hundred adult king penguins have also died. Genetic data suggest the virus arrived from the French Crozet Islands around August 2025 and has been spreading eastward through sub‑Antarctic wildlife, a finding reported in BioRxiv (not yet peer‑reviewed).

via CNN|

#crozet-islands #h5n1-bird-flu #heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands

world1 month ago•280 min saved

Subantarctic bird flu devastates seal pups on Heard Island, scientists say

A deadly H5N1 bird flu outbreak has hit Heard Island and McDonald Islands, killing an estimated 13,000 seal pups and hundreds of adult king penguins. Drone surveys showed about 76% pup mortality across 17,000 pups, with one area at 97%. Genetic data suggest the virus arrived from the Crozet Islands around August 2025, marking the virus’s eastward spread to Australian external territory; the impact on breeding adults is still unclear and the study (BioRxiv) has not been peer reviewed. As of February, the Australian mainland and New Zealand had no reported H5N1 cases.

via CNN|

#bird-flu #h5n1 #heard-island

wildlifeanimal-conservation2 years ago•3 min saved

"Avian Flu Outbreak Decimates Argentina's Seals"

A highly contagious strain of avian influenza has devastated Southern elephant seal populations in Argentina, resulting in the loss of nearly 96 percent of seal pups born in 2023. Concerns have arisen that the H5N1 strain is now capable of mammal-to-mammal infection, posing a potential threat to human populations. The virus has also affected a wide range of mammal species, prompting the World Health Organization to urge preparedness for continued spillover into human populations. Wildlife officials emphasize the need for swift action to prevent further devastation to wildlife and to guard against the spread of the deadly pathogen to humans.

via ScienceAlert|

#avian-influenza #mammal-to-mammal-transmission #southern-elephant-seals

environment2 years ago•3 min saved

"Devastating Impact: Avian Influenza Decimates Penguin and Seal Populations"

Over 95% of southern elephant seal pups born last year in Argentina have died from a highly virulent strain of bird flu, raising concerns among conservationists and scientists. The outbreak has led to a "catastrophic" mass mortality event, with over 17,000 seal pups succumbing to the virus. Researchers fear that the virus may have mutated to be transmissible from mammal-to-mammal, potentially impacting the seal population for years to come. The virus has also been linked to mass mortality events in sea lion colonies in South America, and its impact on adult elephant seal populations is still being studied.

via Livescience.com|

#argentina #bird-flu #environment