Tourists might be making penguins sick in Antarctica
theweathernetwork.com
Tuesday, December 18, 2018, 3:26 PM - Bacteria linked to humans could be threatening penguins and other Antarctic sea birds, according to new research.
Scientists have long believed animals in Antarctica were isolated enough to be protected from human-linked pathogens, but for the first time there's evidence of widespread bacteria like salmonella in a number of birds.
Those birds include penguins brown skuas, southern giant petrels and kelp gulls.
Human-to-animal disease transmission is know as reverse zoonosis. It has been recorded on every continent except Antarctica -- at least until now.
(RELATED: Penguins used to be taller than humans)
Researchers suspect the birds are picking up diseases from tourists and research scientists.
It's an alarming discovery which, in a worst case scenario, could lead to colony collapse or extinction, Science reports.
The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Barcelona, who studied six hundred birds over a period of three years.
The paper was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
With files from CNN
