The unimaginable toll that H5N1 is taking on wildlife
Description
Nearly everyone has heard about the havoc wreaked by the H5N1 virus on poultry, dairy cows and people. But what goes virtually unnoticed is its toll on wildlife.
The so-called bird flu has been around for a couple of centuries, with some animal species being hit harder than others. H5N1 viruses readily swap genetic material, morphing into more dangerous versions as they do.
The current form of H5N1 is a wholly sinister variation that’s more unpredictable than ever. The wildlife deaths have been staggering — over 17 thousand elephant seal pups in Argentina, 25 thousand Cape cormorants in South Africa and 26 thousand northern gannets in Canada, just to name a fraction of the millions involved. The unprecedented extent of these die-offs could push some of the 450 affected species to extinction.
United States
