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Bird flu endangers penguin colony in South Africa

The outbreak of bird flu in 2021 killed an estimated 230 African penguins, he added…reports Asian Lite News

Four cases of avian flu or bird flu were confirmed among the endangered penguins at Boulders Penguin Colony in South African city of Cape Town, News24, a local news website reported, citing a clinical veterinarian.

As of Friday, there had been four confirmed cases and another seven suspected cases, said Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) management.

Once seabirds show symptoms of bird flu, they usually die soon afterward, News24 reported on Saturday, quoting David Roberts, a clinical veterinarian at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) as saying.

The flu strain is the same as the one detected in seabirds in the Western Cape last year. That outbreak saw thousands of birds die in vulnerable colonies. Now, conservationists worry the same fate could await the endangered penguins, if no quick action is taken.

Roberts said that it could also pose a significant risk to breeding colonies if there is an outbreak in endangered species like the African Penguin, Cape Cormorant and Cape Gannet.

The outbreak of bird flu in 2021 killed an estimated 230 African penguins, he added.

“At the peak of the outbreak, more than 500 affected birds were collected per day. The population-level effect was of an unprecedented scale, and nearly 15 per cent of the South African population of Cape cormorants died from avian influenza in less than four months,” he said.

The outbreak devastated the endangered Cape cormorant population in the Western Cape, resulting in the deaths of 24,000 birds. The worst-affected area was Dyer Island off Gansbaai, home to a Cape cormorant breeding colony.

According to Roberts, the actual number of deaths was likely to be far higher. Before the outbreak, there were an estimated 57,000 Cape cormorant breeding pairs in South Africa. However, the population had dropped by 50 per cent over the last 30 years.

Bird flu refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza virus. Strains of the influenza virus primarily infect birds.

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Rare bird flu case identified in human

The infected individual, in southwest England, was said to be “well” and was self-isolating, it added…reports Asian Lite News

Health officials in Britain said Thursday they had identified a rare case of avian flu in a person, as the country battles its largest-ever outbreak of the virus among birds.

Transmission of avian flu from bird to human is very rare and has previously only occurred a small number of times in Britain, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

The infected individual, in southwest England, was said to be “well” and was self-isolating, it added.

“The person acquired the infection from very close, regular contact with a large number of infected birds, which they kept in and around their home over a prolonged period of time,” the UKHSA said in a statement.

“All contacts of the individual, including those who visited the premises, have been traced and there is no evidence of onward spread of the infection to anyone else.”

The agency noted the risk to the wider public from avian flu remained “very low” but cautioned people not to touch sick or dead birds.

Britain culled around half a million birds in 2021 as it grappled with what Environment Secretary George Eustice has called the country’s “largest-ever” avian flu outbreak.

Alongside culling, the government rolled out new rules in December requiring keepers to ensure all captive birds are indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to try to stem the spread of the virus.

However, officials have voiced concerns that wild birds migrating from mainland Europe during the winter months may be carrying the disease.

Geese, ducks and swans are among the wild bird species known to have been affected, while a number of birds of prey are also confirmed to have died.

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