Key Facts in Brief
- Discovery: Jena researchers detect avian flu (H5N1) on King George Island.
- Findings: 52 dead animals, primarily skuas, were discovered during an expedition.
- Danger: Experts fear the virus will spread to densely populated penguin colonies.
- Institution: Institute for Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution at the Uni Jena.
Jena / King George Island (08.02.2026) – While daily life continues in Jena, worrying news reaches us from one of the most remote regions in the world. A team from the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena has made observations in the eternal ice that are alarming biologists and conservationists worldwide. The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 is now spreading into Antarctica.
Jena Expedition Encounters Dead Skuas
The Antarctic idyll is deceptive. During a research trip earlier this year, scientists from the Universität Jena made a gruesome discovery. On King George Island, located near the northern coast of the Antarctic mainland, the team came across numerous animal carcasses. A total of 52 dead birds were recorded. As Christina Braun from the Institute for Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität reports, these are predominantly skuas. However, Southern Giant Petrels and Antarctic Terns were also among the finds.
Laboratory tests confirmed the suspicion: the H5N1 avian flu virus is the cause. Although the virus had first been detected in the wider Antarctic region in October 2023, the current findings by the Jena researchers indicate a dynamic spread. “Something is happening there,” Braun says, summarizing the unclear situation. Furthermore, the number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher.
High Unreported Numbers and Threat to the Ecosystem
Markus Bernhardt-Römermann, a colleague of Christina Braun at the Universität Jena, warns against underestimating the situation. “It can be assumed that far more individuals are affected than have been found,” says the expert. The harsh Antarctic ecosystem ensures that evidence disappears quickly: numerous scavengers in the region often remove carcasses within a short time or drag them away, making an accurate count of the victims almost impossible.
The Jena scientists view the role of skuas as particularly critical. Some of these animals appear to have already built up immunity, meaning they can survive and carry the virus without dying immediately. This makes them effective vectors for the disease in an area that was previously considered largely isolated from such pathogens.
Threat to Penguins: “Local Extinction”
However, the researchers’ greatest concern is for the icons of Antarctica: the penguins. These animals are known to live and breed in massive colonies, huddled closely together to protect themselves from the extreme cold. What is vital for heat regulation could prove fatal in the event of an epidemic. Since infection occurs via droplet infection and saliva, similar to human flu, the virus would have an easy time in a penguin colony.
“It is possible that it hits hard and a population becomes locally extinct,” Bernhardt-Römermann describes a grim scenario. Since only about two percent of the area in Antarctica is ice-free, many bird species concentrate in the same limited space. This lack of space massively increases the infection pressure.
How the Virus Traveled South
Experts assume that migratory birds brought the virus from the north. Many species winter in northern regions where they come into contact with the pathogen and then carry it back to the south. Bernhardt-Römermann suspects that the largest mortality events likely occur on the coasts of Südamerika, where the birds rest on their way. Nevertheless, the evidence on King George Island shows that even the most remote places are not safe from global animal diseases.
The work of the Jena researchers is essential in this context to understand the pathways of spread and to support international conservation efforts for Antarctic fauna with data.