Back in October of last year, African penguins were uplisted on the IUCN redlist from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”. The number of these birds in South Africa and Namibia has continued dropping despite conservation efforts, in large part due to longstanding threats like overfishing and oil spills. Following the uplisting, multiple South African groups have been fighting for their protection and have won critical battles, such as establishing new no-fishing zones for the next decade to aid in the replenishment of critical fisheries. However, one force to be reckoned with has once again reared its ugly head – Bird flu.
The first cases of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain for this year in South Africa, referred to in some media as H5N1, were reported back in early July. A month later, our partner SANCCOB, the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Seabirds, shared that wild birds had started testing positive for bird flu. This included the first cases being found within African penguin colonies, marking a serious threat to their colonies.
South African bird species currently impacted by 2025 bird flu outbreak. Top row: the Great White Pelican (Wikimedia – Bernard Dupont), the African Penguin (Penguins International), and the Kelp Gull (Wikimedia – Bernard Dupont). Bottom row: the White-breasted Cormorant (Wikimedia – Erik A. Drablos) and the Gray-headed Gull (Wikimedia – Lip Kee).
How Bad is H5N1?
The avian influenza strain H5N1 is one of the most dangerous strains we know of pertaining to wild birds. While it was originally believed not to affect wild birds, it has since become clear that it is as detrimental, if not more, to wild bird populations as it is to your backyard flock. Unlike domestic birds, wild birds do not have the luxury of biohazard protocols and medicine like vaccinations, meaning once one or two birds start showing signs, the virus is on track to quickly spread through a flock or colony.
The virus works by going after an infected host’s immune system. Once it starts infecting specific immune cells, these cells start releasing higher levels of certain chemical signals than normal. The body’s cells start destroying themselves as a result. In a normal infection response, this targets mainly infected cells and prevents a virus from reproducing. However, in the case of bird flu, it leads to serious respiratory and neurological damage.
Signs of infection begin with mild respiratory effects, such as coughing and sneezing. As the infection worsens, lethargy, loss of appetite, and neurological symptoms, primarily tremors and abrupt seizures, occur at a rapid pace. Within hours to days, an infected bird is likely to pass away from the virus, but not before transmitting it to other birds in its vicinity. Sudden death in bird populations is a strong indicator that the disease is present in an area. The range of mortality for H5N1 is approximately 75-100% of infected birds, while those that do survive often have long-lasting damage.
Not all birds will show signs of having bird flu. Carriers will spread the virus between individuals without showing signs for a prolonged period of time, if at all, through lost feathers, bodily waste, and droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.
The Battle for African Penguins
African penguin colonies have already been depleted due to a lack of large prey populations, human overexploitation of them and their habitat, and other diseases like avian malaria and aspergillosis. However, bird flu comes with a whole new level of threat. Between the ability for asymptomatic birds to transmit the disease, the high mortality of the H5N1 strain, and its ability to easily cross between bird species, this plague could easily wipe out entire colonies.
For a critically endangered species, this disease can be the tipping point between extinction and survival. If a population becomes too small, it can lead to severe genetic problems that inhibit the offspring’s ability to survive. Not to mention that if a colony hits a high enough threshold of the virus, it could be eradicated.
That’s where conservation groups like SANCCOB enter the picture. SANCCOB has both disease surveillance and disaster preparedness and response programs. This means not only are they actively monitoring for diseases, but they also have resources and plans in place for when problems arise.
Through its disease surveillance program, SANCCOB regularly tests both seabird carcasses and live birds to identify diseases present in the environment. If the team finds a particular disease increasing, such as bird flu, they can redirect resources towards active monitoring of that disease.
An African penguin infected with bird flu, with significant discharge surrounding its eyes(Image credit: SANCCOB)
On the other hand, SANCCOB’s disaster preparedness and response program has an aspect focusing on minimizing the spread of detected diseases. To accomplish this during the 2018 bird flu outbreak, they partnered with various local and national organizations to track its spread and try to reduce its impact on various seabirds. They have also been working to research avian influenza to find a treatment beyond supportive care.
We’re working with SANCCOB to raise awareness about this outbreak and secure funding for operations protecting African penguins from H5N1 in South Africa. However, we can’t do it alone. Now more than ever, we need your support to work on developing and executing disease management plans, as well as to advance research into avian influenza and its possible treatments. Every donation helps on both local and global scales to fight the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. African penguins are counting on all of us to help them survive this lethal foe, especially as their species stares down a very high risk of extinction.
If you’d like to learn more about SANCCOB and how they’re handling threats like bird flu, check out the links below. They’re doing amazing work on the front lines, both in their facilities and in the field, to try and bolster the survival of African penguins and other threatened seabirds.
- https://sanccob.co.za/preparedness-and-response/
- https://sanccob.co.za/projects/disease-surveillance/
References
SANCCOB article on first wild bird cases in 2025
Earliest article on H5N1 in South Africa
Avian Influenza Info:
- https://www.vet.cornell.edu/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-bird-flu-resource-center/avian-influenza-bird-flu-fact-sheet#:~:text=HPAI%20historically%20has%20caused%2075,well%20as%20some%20wild%20birds.
- https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza
- https://agr.wa.gov/departments/animals-livestock-and-pets/avian-health/avian-influenza
Terminology:
Bird Flu in Wildlife:
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-bird-flu-resource-center/wildlife
Image References
- Component sources
- African penguin: Penguins International photo library, Dyan deNapoli
- Gray-headed Gull: Wikimedia, Lip Kee
- White-breasted cormorant: Wikimedia, Erik A. Drablos
- Kelp Gull and Great White Pelican: Wikimedia, Bernard Dupont
- Collage created in Canva
Sick African penguin – SANCCOB
