A deadly type of bird flu virus has been identified in gentoo penguins for the first time, according to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), fueling concern that the virus could spread among the huge penguin colonies in Antarctica.

Researchers found about 35 penguins dead in the Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic, on January 19. Samples taken from two of the dead penguins tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, said Ralf Vandstrils, a veterinarian who works at SCAR.

The Falkland Islands government told Reuters that many more gentoo penguins died under similar conditions. Until January 30, “there are over 200 chicks that died along with some adults” penguinssaid government spokeswoman Sally Heathman.

The deaths confirm that gentoo penguins are susceptible to the deadly disease, which has decimated bird populations around the world in recent months. However, gentoo rarely travel between the Falklands off the coast of Argentina and the Antarctic Peninsula.

This means that migrating penguins are unlikely to carry the dispersal to the southern part of the continent, said Vanstrills.

“The role of gentoo penguins could, on the contrary, be a local source of contamination,” he pointed out. “That is, to maintain a pool of susceptible hosts that will never leave the islands.”