A Warning from the Wild: H5N1 Hits Patagonia’s Elephant Seals
When our Latin America Program director Dr. Marcela Uhart arrived at the windswept beaches of southern Patagonia, she was met with a devastating sight—thousands of dead elephant seals, including mothers and pups, wiped out by the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
As the virus spreads globally, mutating and infecting more species—including mammals—scientists like Uhart are racing to understand its deadly trajectory. Her team’s findings, recently published in Nature, underscore a critical truth: We can’t prepare for what’s coming unless we’re paying attention now.
Listen to Dr. Uhart on One World One Health podcast: