Avian Flu Ravages Australian Island, Killing Over 13,000 Seal Pups

(CNA Sydney, 18th, International News) Australian scientists announced today that a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus strain has infected elephant seal breeding populations on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, resulting in the deaths of over 13,000 pups.

According to Agence France-Presse, researchers discovered seal carcasses scattered across the remote Heard Island and McDonald Islands when they arrived for an expedition in October last year.

Genetic testing confirmed that the highly contagious H5 avian influenza virus strain caused the deaths of local seals, penguins, and birds. This marks the first discovery of this virus in an Australian external territory.

Scientists from the Australian Antarctic Program stated that southern elephant seal pups were the hardest hit by the epidemic, with pup mortality rates reaching as high as 97% in some breeding populations.

Ground and aerial surveys conducted in October last year and January this year found that 13,300 elephant seal pups had died.

Researchers believe the virus may have been introduced in August last year by infected wildlife from the Crozet Islands.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located approximately 4,000 kilometers southwest of mainland Australia, are uninhabited, and require permission from the Australian government to land.

The islands unexpectedly became a media focus last April when they were included in U.S. President Donald Trump's international tariff list. (Compiled by Hong Pei-ying) 1150618

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