Experts are sounding the alarm for a species of migratory albatross birds that are threatened by a strain of bird flu that is rapidly evolving on an island between South Africa and Antarctica, where half of the birds of the species in question breed.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, is believed to have reached Marion Island, one of two sub-Antarctic islands belonging to South Africa, the country’s environment department said in a statement on Tuesday.

It is probably causing the death of birds of at least three species on the island.

“The virus can spread long distances from migratory birds, so it is likely that it arrived on Marion Island,” the environment department said, adding that it has trained 11 people on the island to detect the disease in birds and seals, in an effort to slow its spread.

The virus has been spreading around the world since 2021, killing both domestic and wild birds as well as infecting a number of other species.

It was detected in October last year in South Georgia, south-east of Chile, reached Antarctica in February and the first suspected case on Marion Island was found in a bird in September.

Additionally, seals on Possession Island, east of Marion Island, are also believed to be infected.

The Prince Edward Islands, which include Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, are the breeding and nesting sites for millions of seabirds, including hundreds of thousands of penguins.

It is also home to elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals.

The albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird and is known to follow ships.

There are about 25,000 of them worldwide.

The virus outbreak is the latest threat to birds on Marion Island.