Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42869479›Full record

ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2026

Avian cholera causes mass mortality at penguin mega-colonies amid H5N1 HPAI outbreaks in Antarctica.

Matteo Iervolino, Anne Günther, Leonard Schuele, Florencia Soto, Lonneke Leijten, Theo M Bestebroer, Adam Coerper, Alice Reade, Ben Wallis, Simeon Lisovski and 6 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Matteo IervolinoDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0000-8476-4638
Anne GüntherInstitute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health , Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Leonard SchueleDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Florencia SotoInstituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET) , Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
Lonneke LeijtenDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Theo M BestebroerDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Adam CoerperOcean Expeditions Support Vessel S/V Australis , Sydney, Australia.
Alice ReadeOcean Expeditions Support Vessel S/V Australis , Sydney, Australia.
Ben WallisOcean Expeditions Support Vessel S/V Australis , Sydney, Australia.
Simeon LisovskiAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research , Potsdam, Germany.
Gerardo LeottaInstituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Sistemas Alimentarios Sustentables (ICYTESAS-CONICET) , Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Martin BeerInstitute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health , Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Meagan DewarFuture Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia , Berwick, Australia.
Thijs KuikenDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Lineke BegemanDepartment of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ralph E T VanstreelsKaren C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California , Davis, CA, USA.

Funding

European Union 101 084 171International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO)Ocean Expeditions
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The characterization of pathogens affecting Antarctic wildlife has been historically limited and sporadic. With the introduction of H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in Antarctica in the austral summer 2023/2024, concerns about the health of Antarctic seabirds and mammals prompted immediate surveillance efforts. In March 2024, we visited the Danger Islands archipelago, that hosts two mega-colonies of Adélie penguins, and observed an unusual mortality estimated in thousands of Adélie penguins and other species. Swabs and tissues were collected for molecular detection of infectious agents from 49 carcasses, and additional tissues for histology from a selection of 9 carcasses. We detected Pasteurella multocida DNA in 46 of 49 individuals, and diagnosed avian cholera as the cause of death of most of these animals. By shotgun sequencing, we retrieved the first genomic sequences of the P. multocida strain from this region, and the phylogenetic analysis showed a close relation with strains from other locations retrieved during the same expedition and with strains previously reported in the Southern Ocean area. This study confirms avian cholera as a relevant cause of mortality in the Antarctic, and overall highlights the importance of considering this disease in the differential diagnoses during mortality events in Antarctica.

Indexed as

Disease OutbreaksInfluenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeInfluenza in BirdsPasteurella InfectionsPasteurella multocidaSpheniscidaeAnimalsAntarctic RegionsPhylogenyhistopathologyinfectious diseasesmetagenomicsPasteurella multocida

Identifiers

PMID42869479

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.