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Two Endangered Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses Thalassarche chlororhynchos fly past Gough Island, artwork by Deepti Singh of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2026; after photographs by Chris Jones and Laurie Smaglick Johnson
The high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) virus has now been publicly reported from Gough Island, a World Heritage Site, in the South Atlantic, following its detection in three Brown Skuas Catharacta antarctica found dead on the island in September 2024. To date, no signs of the disease have been reported from other birds breeding on the island, including the Critically Endangered and near-endemic Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena. The arrival of HPAI on Gough fills in a gap of its spread around the islands of the Southern Ocean, extending from the Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas*, South Georgia/Islas Georgias del Sur* in the South Atlantic and to Marion Island, Possession Island, Crozets, Kerguelen and Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean (click here). To date, there have been no reports of the virus from Australia’s Macquarie Island or any of New Zealand’s suite of sub-Antarctic islands farther to the east.
(a) Map indicating the location for Gough Island in the context of locations with ongoing HPAIV H5N1 outbreaks reported to WAHIS (red dots), (b) Gough Island with the research station located in the southeast of the island (black square) and the island helipad’s (yellow diamond), (c) view of research station and helipad, (d) Tristan skua (Stercorarius antarcticus hamiltoni) [from the publication]
Information on the Gough incident comes from Antje Steinfurth (Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Cambridge, UK) and colleagues who published open access earlier this year in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections.
The paper’s abstract follows:
“Understanding the mechanisms underlying the emergence and spread of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is critical for tracking its global dissemination, particularly via migratory seabirds, given their role in transmission over long distances. Scavenging seabirds, such as skuas, may act as both reservoirs and vectors, and have been linked to multiple outbreaks since 2021. Here, we report the detection of HPAIV H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in three Tristan skua (Stercorarius antarcticus hamiltoni) carcasses on Gough Island in the central South Atlantic Ocean. To investigate potential incursion routes, we combined genomic analyses with year-round tracking data from global location sensors. Although migratory movement patterns suggested southern Africa as the most obvious pathway, the strain detected on Gough Island was more closely related to that identified in South Georgia, indicating that infection may have occurred during the pre-laying exodus, when skuas disperse into frontal waters south of the island. No further cases have been confirmed for Gough, but more systematic monitoring is needed to understand the dynamics of virus infection. The detection of HPAIV H5N1 in skuas on Gough Island highlights the importance of continued vigilance, proactive and geographically inclusive surveillance strategies, and biosecurity measures globally, alongside efforts to reduce other pressures on globally important seabird populations to help strengthen their resilience.”
Reference:
Steinfurth, A., Lynton-Jenkins, J.G., Cleeland, J., Mollett, B.C., Coombes, H.A., Moores, A., Neal, R., Clifton, B., Falchieri, M., Jones, C.W., Risi, M.M., Golda, S., James, J., Ryan, P.G., González- Solís, J. & Banyard, A.C. 2026. Investigating high pathogenicity avian influenza virus incursions to remote islands: detection of H5N1 on Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. Emerging Microbes & Infections 15(1).
With thanks to Chris Jones and Michelle Risi.
John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 26k June 2026
*A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Islas Georgias del Sur y Islas Sandwich del Sur) and the surrounding maritime areas.
Jonathon Barrington, ACAP Executive Secretary, addresses the Australian Antarctic Division during its World Albatross Day morning tea, photograph from Mandi Livesey
A Wandering Albatross in the southern Indian Ocean, photograph by Kirk Zufelt
