Gannets found to be avian flu survivors
BBC Wildlife|July 2023
Bass Rock northern gannet study finds irises of birds that beat avian flu turn from blue to black
Simon Birch
Gannets found to be avian flu survivors

SCIENTISTS HAVE MADE THE DISCOVERY that northern gannets can recover from avian flu and that the irises of the gannets that survive the infection turn from a normal vivid blue to black, an indicator of a previous infection.

A detailed study on the impact of avian flu was carried out on the Bass Rock in Scotland - home to 150,000 gannets, the largest single gannet colony in the world - which was affected by an avian flu outbreak in 2022.

This story is from the July 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.

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This story is from the July 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.