MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Suspected ?pox' kills 200 penguins

An unidentified illness has killed penguins in the Port Stephens area of West Falkland.

In the past week approximately 200 gentoo penguins and chicks have died at the rookeries at Ten Shilling Bay and Port Stephens Peak. Penguins with similar symptoms have also been reported from New Island and Albemarle.

Grant Munro said initial indications are that the disease is an "avian pox virus".

The penguins appear weak and have wart-like lesions predominantly on their feet, flippers and around the eyes and beak, however on badly affected animals, lesions may occur all over the body.

Grant said, "Eyes may be inflamed with a milky covering over the front of the eye and a dry crusty excretion around the eye; in severely affected animals the eye may be protruding or alternatively completely closed if swollen lesions occur close to the eye. The illness affects both chicks and adults."

Peter and Ann Robertson, who have been monitoring the situation, collected two of the affected animals, which were picked up by Falklands Conservation and sent into the Veterinary Department for diagnosis and autopsy.

Gidona Goodman, a specialist in exotic animal medicine at Edinburgh University and wildlife vet at Edinburgh Zoo, who visited the Islands last year, is assisting the Veterinary Department and Falklands Conservation. Photographs and samples have been sent to the UK for analysis and it is hoped to have a positive diagnosis soon.

Grant said that if the virus is found to be avian pox, it will be the first time that this has been reported in the Falklands and it is probable that there will be no resistance within the penguin population.

"Within resistant populations mortality associated with avian pox may be only 1 - 2 % however in susceptible populations mortality may be as high as 50%."

He said vectors such as animals, birds or infected meat/corpses generally transmit the virus, however tourists and visitors, researchers or landowners can equally carry it. "Faeces will infect soil around the colony and any dirt or dust carried from the site on boots, clothing or vehicles will transmit the virus to new sites.

"The Department of Agriculture and Falklands Conservation would encourage anyone visiting penguin colonies to report any sick animals showing the above symptoms to Falklands Conservation."

Grant said there is no public health issue and the pox virus is not related to the influenza virus either in its human or avian forms.

However, he reiterated that although humans cannot catch the pox virus from birds they can transmit it on clothing and boots. "Boots, clothing and vehicles should be cleaned after visiting any colony and visitors should not move directly from one colony to another.

"This is essential if it is suspected that infected birds are present, however it may be that the symptoms have not yet manifested and it is good practise on all occasions. Cruise vessels should use footbaths prior to tourists disembarking and upon return."

Generally bird populations in mainland areas have, over time, been exposed to a wide variety of avian diseases and resistance antibodies are present within the population, however on remoter islands such as the Falklands the introduction of exotic diseases can have catastrophic effects, Grant said.

"In 2002 veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York, who own Grand and Steeple Jason, took blood samples from black-browed albatross and gentoo penguins and tested for a wide range of avian diseases.

"It was found that, unlike seabird populations on the coasts of South America, the Falklands populations had no antibodies and thus no resistance to the tested diseases. This means that birds may suffer heavily if or when diseases are introduced."

He added, "Serious outbreaks have occurred in other sub-Antarctic islands notably avian cholera on Amsterdam Island and South Georgia last year and avian diphtheria in New Zealand." (PN)