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Chile's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) reported yesterday on the mass strandings of Marine mammals thought to be connected to the spread of avian H5N1 down the coast by migratory birds.While more than 2,200 mammals have been found dead along the coast, only a small number (n=29) have been tested for avian flu, but the number of strandings is running at a rate more than 50 times normal.
Two weeks ago, Chile's SERNAPESCA Reported A Record Number of Marine Strandings In 1st Quarter of 2023, citing 532 sea lions, 234 Humboldt penguins and 6 chungungos (marine otters) that had been found dead in those 3 months, compared to just 131 during all of 2022.
Yesterday's updated report roughly triples those numbers. Given Chile's massive 4,000 mile long coastline - with many remote and hard to access places - the true number is likely higher than has been reported to date.
First the translated report, then I'll return with a brief postscript.
SERNAPESCA delivers report of stranded marine animals dead due to Avian Influenza situation
Friday March 31, 2023
There are more than 2,270 specimens of common sea lions, Humboldt penguins and chungungos that have stranded dead on the coasts of our country during the first quarter of 2023, mainly in the north. The figure is 1,421% higher than the total number of strandings, corresponding to these species, registered throughout the year 2022.
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service has reported a considerable increase in the strandings of dead marine animals on the Chilean coasts during the first quarter of 2023. In total, 1,535 specimens of sea lions, 730 Humboldt penguins and 8 chungungos are reported. that have stranded dead on the coasts of the central and northern macro-zones, the main affected regions being: Arica and Parinacota with 709 dead sea lions and 343 dead Humboldt penguins, the Tarapacá region with 195 dead sea lions, the Antofagasta region with 218 dead sea lions and the Atacama region with 226 dead Humboldt penguins.
“During these three months of the year we recorded a historical number of dead stranded marine animals, corresponding to 2,273 specimens of these three species. The total number of these stranded animals dead for a full year in 2022 was 160, and in 2021 there were 129 dead specimens in total. This shows that we are clearly facing an anomalous situation, which we attribute to the phenomenon of highly pathogenic avian influenza, especially since the strandings in these months are concentrated in the northern zone," said Soledad Tapia, National Director of Sernapesca.
In the context of the Avian Influenza emergency, work has been reinforced with other entities such as the Presidential Delegations, Regional Governments, SAG, Seremías, Municipalities and others, in order to support an active surveillance plan throughout the coastline with the in order to reduce the risks of viral circulation of said disease, through the detection, testing and final disposal of affected animals.
The epidemiological situation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by H5 subtype of Eurasian lineage has continued to spread. There are 9 regions that have registered marine fauna protected by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law with positivity for avian influenza, with cases from Arica to Biobío only excepting the Metropolitan and Ñuble regions.
To date, a total of 29 specimens of marine animals confirmed as HPAI-positive have been counted, corresponding to 2 chungungos, 23 sea lions and 4 Humboldt penguins.
It should be noted that SERNAPESCA is prioritizing assistance to the strandings of animals with symptoms associated with avian influenza. As for the disposal of the dead animals, it corresponds to the respective municipalities with the support of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service to safeguard the biosafety protocols.
The service reiterated the emphatic call to people who are on the coastline not to touch or manipulate, keep their distance, and report in the event that a dead bird or marine animal is detected on the coastline or that shows signs such as: decay, coughing, breathing difficulties or muscle spasms. This includes not moving them, not returning them to the sea or burying them on beaches at your own expense.
A couple of days later, in Preprint: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in Marine Mammals and Seabirds in Peru, we saw the first detailed analysis of their H5N1 mass mortality event, which described the evolution new genotypes of avian H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b as it spread through wild birds and marine mammals in Peru.
While it isn't at all clear whether H5N1 is spreading from mammal-to-mammal - or as has been suggested, they are being infected from environmental exposure - one thing is certain; the virus continues to evolve as it infects new hosts in its travels.
And that means anything we say about the virus, and threat it poses today, can change at any time.