The first avian influenza cases in the penguins of South Georgia are reported by scientists.
Avian influenza had already infected other seabirds and mammals on the British Overseas Territory, but scientists report gentoo and king penguins have now fallen victim, too.
"If bird flu were to take a hold and cause very high mortality across the island, it would be of conservation concern globally. But at the moment, it does seem to be somewhat limited in the way it's spreading," he told BBC News.High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza has been in existence for decades but the world is currently in the grip of a major flare up, with the H5N1 strain of the virus causing the deaths of countless wild and domesticated birds.
Penguins are the latest animal group to be infected, with five gentoos and five kings testing positive. "Skuas are constantly in amongst the penguin colonies scavenging and preying on eggs and chicks. If there's a surprise, it's that it's taken this long for the virus to be manifested in the penguins."
But how far it would progress and what its impacts might be was highly uncertain, said Dr Ashley Banyard, who leads the avian virology workgroup at the APHA.