Over the last three years, a highly lethal form of avian influenza has whipped around the world, felling birds in Europe, Africa and Asia before jumping across the ocean and setting off the worst bird flu outbreak in U.S. history.
Last fall, the virus, known as H5N1, finally arrived in South America. It raced quickly down the Pacific coast and killed wild birds and marine mammals in staggering numbers. Peru and Chile alone have reported more than 500,000 dead seabirds and 25,000 dead sea lions, according to a new report published last week by OFFLU, a global network of flu experts.
Now, scientists are worried the virus will make its way to Antarctica, one of only two continents — along with Australia — that have not yet been hit by the pathogen. "The negative impact of this virus on Antarctic wildlife could be immense — likely worse than that on South American wildlife,” the report warns.