Africa's last penguins could be vaccinated against bird flu in last-ditch attempt to save species
Africa's last penguins could be vaccinated against bird flu in a landmark mission led by UK scientists.
Hundreds of birds were killed by an outbreak which began in 2017, and vaccines are being tested on penguins in captivity in South Africa as a "last resort" to save the species if the deadly disease strikes again.
African penguin numbers have dropped to just three per cent of the levels seen in the early 20th century amid pressures from human disruption, pollution, loss of habitat and food sources.
Originally affected in the early 20th century by human collection of their guano for fertiliser and eggs for food, they are now struggling with reduced fish stocks and pollution from oil spills.
Once numbering more than three million, there are now fewer than 20,000 pairs remaining.
Researchers from Aberystwyth University helped launch a project to examine the birds to see whether they are still carrying the disease, and what other illnesses could be contributing to their decline.
Scientists from the international African Penguin Health group are collecting blood, swabs and feather samples from 800 penguins in Namibia and South Africa, as well as examining dead birds in the first comprehensive health check of the population.
They also hope to launch an app which would encourage the public to report sightings of dead penguins, as well as reporting when no penguin carcasses are visible, to help figure out how unusual the deaths are.
A trial to test the vaccine in penguins in captivity began six months ago and is so far yielding encouraging results.
Vaccinating the wild population would be a last resort to save the species, said Professor Darrell Abernethy, head of the university's school of veterinary science.
The bird flu vaccine is more commonly used in domestic or commercial birds such as poultry, and the mass vaccination of wild penguins would be a world first, he added.
"It would be a very drastic step. There's no easy way to catch these birds, you have to physically catch them by hand, when they're on land. It's disruptive, and it would be a very difficult decision to have to take.
"But it might be the only tool left in the toolkit if we have to save these birds from being completely destroyed," he said.
Scientists from institutions around the world, including Freie Universität in Berlin, South Africa National Parks, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, the University of Namibia and the University of Pretoria are also involved in the research.
Workshops with local colony managers are planned early next year to discuss the best way to cope with another outbreak in the population, including carrying out health checks and disposing of dead birds, as it is not yet known whether infected carcasses can pass the virus on.
The previous outbreak is thought to have been caused by migratory birds coming from Europe, reaching the South African poultry industry and then infecting seabirds including penguins.
A new bird flu outbreak in poultry was confirmed in South Africa earlier this year, first identified at a farm in Johannesburg where 300 chickens were killed.