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. 2024 May-Jun:59:102712.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102712. Epub 2024 Mar 8.

Pacific and Atlantic sea lion mortality caused by highly pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in South America

Pablo I Plaza  1 , Víctor Gamarra-Toledo  2 , Juan Rodríguez Euguí  3 , Natalia Rosciano  4 , Sergio A Lambertucci  4
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Free article

Pacific and Atlantic sea lion mortality caused by highly pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in South America

Pablo I Plaza et al. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2024 May-Jun.
Free article

Abstract

We describe the evolution of the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) in sea lions (Otaria flavescens) of South America. At least 24,000 sea lions died in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil between January-October 2023. The most plausible route of infection is cohabiting with or foraging on infected birds. However, we urge a detailed evaluation of the sea lions actual source of infection given that the concomitant massive wild bird mortalities registered in the Pacific Ocean did not occur in the Atlantic Ocean.

Keywords: H5N1; Influenza; Marine mammals; Mortality; South America.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this commentary.

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