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California Elephant Seals Hit by Deadly H5N1 Virus
26 Feb
Summary
- Lethal H5N1 bird flu detected in California elephant seal pups.
- Park closures and tour cancellations due to outbreak.
- Virus previously caused massive seal deaths in Southern Hemisphere.
A dangerous strain of bird flu, H5N1, has been confirmed in northern elephant seal pups at California's Año Nuevo State Park. Seven pups have tested positive, representing the first known cases in this species. This follows significant mortality in southern elephant seals in the Hemisphere.
The park has closed seal-viewing areas and canceled tours as a precaution. Scientists are monitoring the situation closely, noting that H5N1 has previously led to devastating losses in related seal populations.
H5N1 has shown a broad capacity to infect various mammals and birds, including recent outbreaks in U.S. dairy cattle. The risk to the public remains low, with advisories for people to maintain distance from marine mammals. Efforts are focused on limiting the spread within the Año Nuevo colony.
