This app is a product of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research through its

• Antarctic Wildlife Health Network and
• Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics, and supported by
• the Australian Antarctic Division's Integrated Digital East Antarctica program and the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.

Avian Influenza is a highly contagious viral disease, that comprises the avian strains of the influenza A virus, which comprises both low pathogenicity (little to no disease) and high pathogenicity strains (causes high levels of morbidity and mortality in poultry and wild birds). Since 2021, a highly pathogenicity strain of avian influenza known as HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has caused significant outbreaks, decimating wild birds in the UK, Europe, South Africa and the Americas, and pinnipeds in South America. Since this outbreak began, millions of seabirds and tens of thousands of pinnipeds have died globally due to the disease. Many seabird colonies have experience significant loses with up to 50-60% mortality rates (e.g., Great Skua and Gannets). Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and Antarctica were the only continents free of the disease until the 23 October 2023, when the first case was confirmed via PCR test on Bird Island, in the sub-Antarctic.

Read more about the SCAR Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Monitoring Project.