Chicks sick in New Zealand: Researchers find cause of deadly disease in penguins

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“We found two viruses that are probably responsible,” virologist Jemma Geoghegan told the AFP news agency. The fatal respiratory diseases are believed to be caused by a new gyrovirus and a new megrivirus. Animal rights activists now hope to find a vaccine.

Population decreased by 75 percent

Native only to New Zealand, yellow-eyed penguins can be identified by the pale yellow feathers around their eyes and on the back of their heads. They live in breeding colonies in the southeast of New Zealand’s South Island and on some of New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands.

The species is considered critically endangered. New Zealand’s Ministry of Environment estimates that only around 2,400 adult specimens remain. The population on the mainland has fallen by 75 percent since 2008, according to animal rights activists. Penguins’ enemies are dogs, cats, weasels and other weasels on land, as well as barracudas in the sea. But climate change and infectious diseases also affect shy loners.

More research is needed

The mysterious respiratory disease was first discovered in penguin chicks brought to a wildlife clinic in Dunedin in 2019. “They couldn’t hold their heads and were panting with glassy eyes,” says clinic manager Lisa Argilla. “It was heartbreaking to see these little chicks in such poor condition.” All the chicks with symptoms died, “we couldn’t do anything to save them,” Argilla recalls.

Experts believe these two diseases kill about 25 percent of yellow-eyed penguin chicks (about 50 hatchlings per year).

With the help of virus sequencing, which is also used to identify corona variants, two new virus types were determined to be the possible cause. But Geoghegan, a professor at the University of Otago in Dunedin, says “a lot of research is still needed to find out whether we can prevent or treat the disease.”

Veterinary clinic hopeful about vaccine

By then, all newly hatched chicks will be removed from the breeding colonies and taken to the veterinary clinic to protect them from infection. Last year, 90 percent of the chicks were returned safely to the colonies. Argilla says more than 140 chicks have been given a second chance at life. “If we had left them in the nursery, most of them would probably have succumbed to one of two diseases.”

But the effort required to hand-rear dozens of chicks is enormous. The clinic is required to assign up to ten colleagues each day to assist with five days of feeding. Clinic director Argilla hopes a vaccine will be available soon. Until then, his clinic can only save “individual birds” and “hopefully slow” the population decline.

(AFP)

Source : Blick