Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region

Simeon Lisovski¹, Anne Günther², Meagan Dewar³, David Ainley⁴, Fabián Aldunate^{5

6}, Rodrigo Arce^{5

6}, Grant Ballard⁷, Silke Bauer⁸, Josabel Belliure⁹, Ashley C Banyard^{10

11}, Thierry Boulinier¹², Ashley Bennison¹³, Christina Braun¹⁴, Craig Cary¹⁵, Paulo Catry¹⁶, Augustin Clessin¹², Maelle Connan¹⁶, Edna Correia¹⁷, Aidan Cox⁷, Juan Cristina⁵, Megan Elrod⁷, Julia Emerit^{18

19}, Irene Ferreiro^{5

6}, Zoe Fowler²⁰, Amandine Gamble^{18

19}, José P Granadeiro¹⁷, Joaquin Hurtado^{5

6}, Dennis Jongsomjit⁷, Célia Lesage¹⁷, Mathilde Lejeune¹², Amanda Kuepfer²¹, Amélie Lescroël⁷, Amy Li⁷, Ian R McDonald¹⁵, Javier Menéndez-Blázquez²², Virginia Morandini²³, Gonzalo Moratorio^{5

6}, Teresa Militão¹⁶, Pilar Moreno^{5

6}, Paula Perbolianachis^{5

6}, Jean Pennycook⁴, Maryam Raslan²⁴, Scott M Reid¹⁰, Roanna Richards-Babbage¹⁵, Annie E Schmidt⁷, Martha Maria Sander¹, Lucy Smyth²⁰, Alvaro Soutullo²⁴, Andrew Stanworth²¹, Léo Streith¹², Jérémy Tornos¹², Arvind Varsani²⁵, Ulrike Herzschuh^{1

26

27}, Martin Beer², Michelle Wille^{28

29}

Affiliations

¹ Polar Terrestrial Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany.
² Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany.
³ Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia.
⁴ H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants, Los Gatos, California, USA.
⁵ Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁶ Laboratorio de Evolución Experimental de Virus, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁷ Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, USA.
⁸ Dynamic Macroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
⁹ Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
¹⁰ Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency-Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
¹¹ WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Swine Influenza and Newcastle Disease Virus, Animal and Plant Health Agency-Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
¹² Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
¹³ British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁴ Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
¹⁵ Thermophile Research Unit, Te Aka Mātuatua-School of Science, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
¹⁶ MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Ispa - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁷ Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁸ Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
¹⁹ Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
²⁰ Department of Zoology, Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa.
²¹ Falklands Conservation, Stanley, Falkland Islands.
²² Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
²³ Depto. Ecologia Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
²⁴ Departamento de Ecologia y Gestion Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la Republica, Maldonado, Uruguay.
²⁵ Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
²⁶ Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
²⁷ Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
²⁸ Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
²⁹ WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 39420513
PMCID: PMC11486806
DOI: 10.1111/irv.70010

Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region

Simeon Lisovski et al. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2024 Oct.

. 2024 Oct;18(10):e70010.

doi: 10.1111/irv.70010.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Polar Terrestrial Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany.
² Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald, Germany.
³ Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Australia.
⁴ H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants, Los Gatos, California, USA.
⁵ Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁶ Laboratorio de Evolución Experimental de Virus, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁷ Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, USA.
⁸ Dynamic Macroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
⁹ Global Change Ecology and Evolution Research Group (GloCEE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
¹⁰ Department of Virology, Animal and Plant Health Agency-Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
¹¹ WOAH/FAO International Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza, Swine Influenza and Newcastle Disease Virus, Animal and Plant Health Agency-Weybridge, Addlestone, Surrey, UK.
¹² Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
¹³ British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK.
¹⁴ Institute for Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
¹⁵ Thermophile Research Unit, Te Aka Mātuatua-School of Science, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
¹⁶ MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Ispa - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁷ Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
¹⁸ Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
¹⁹ Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
²⁰ Department of Zoology, Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa.
²¹ Falklands Conservation, Stanley, Falkland Islands.
²² Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
²³ Depto. Ecologia Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
²⁴ Departamento de Ecologia y Gestion Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la Republica, Maldonado, Uruguay.
²⁵ Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
²⁶ Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
²⁷ Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
²⁸ Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
²⁹ WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 39420513
PMCID: PMC11486806
DOI: 10.1111/irv.70010

Abstract

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 panzootic is having substantial impacts on wild birds and marine mammals. Following major and widespread outbreaks in South America, an incursion to Antarctica occurred late in the austral summer of 2023/2024 and was confined to the region of the Antarctic Peninsula. To infer potential underlying processes, we compiled H5N1 surveillance data from Antarctica and sub-Antarctic Islands prior to the first confirmed cases.

Keywords: Antarctica; H5N1; Migratory birds.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Sampling locations for RT‐qPCR analysis and the detection of H5N1 2.3.4.4b, as well as locations with intensive observational efforts to identify signs of HPAIV infections within breeding bird communities for the breeding season 2022/2023 (left) and 2023/2024 (right). In addition, locations of confirmed cases of infection in 2023/24 (right) are included. Numbers refer to the following references: (a) technical annex, (b) Bennison et al. 10, (c) reported by Antonio Alcami, Angela Vazquez, the PERPANTAR project and researchers from the Instituto Antártico Argentino 12. Maps created with Natural Earth.

**FIGURE 2**
Northern giant petrels and Brown skuas scavenging on an Antarctic fur seal carcass, showing inter‐species interactions with the potential for HPAIV virus transmission. Photo taken on South Georgia by Paulo Catry.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Wille M. and Barr I. G., “Resurgence of Avian Influenza Virus,” Science 376 (2022): 459–460. - PubMed
1. Adlhoch C., Fusaro A., Gnzales J. L., et al., “Avian Influenza Overview March ‐ April 2023,” EFSA Journal 21 (2023): e08039. - PMC - PubMed
1. James J., Billington E., Warren C. J., et al., “Clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus (HPAIV) From the 2021/22 Epizootic Is Highly Duck Adapted and Poorly Adapted to Chickens,” Journal of General Virology 104 (2023): 001852. - PubMed
1. Kandeil A., Patton C., Jones J. C., et al., “Rapid Evolution of a(H5N1) Influenza Viruses After Intercontinental Spread to North America,” Nature Communications 14 (2023): 3082. - PMC - PubMed
1. WOAH , “WAHIS: World Animal Health Information System,” https://wahis.woah.org/.

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Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region

Affiliations

Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

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