第2158期:Scientist Say Bird Flu Is Hurting World’s Seal Population

An ongoing bird flu outbreak has killed tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in several parts of the world. 持续爆发的禽流感已导致世界多个地区数以万计的海豹和海狮死亡。 

Scientists said the virus’ spread also has caused economic losses at poultry farms and is harming wild birds. 科学家表示，病毒的传播还给家禽养殖场造成了经济损失，并正在伤害野生鸟类。 

A worldwide bird flu outbreak began in 2020. It has led to the deaths of millions of domesticated birds and also hit wildlife populations. 2020 年，全球爆发禽流感，导致数百万只家养鸟类死亡，野生动物种群也受到影响。 

Health officials have said they do not currently consider the virus a threat to humans. But experts have warned that the continued spread of bird flu could increase the risks to humans. 卫生官员表示，他们目前不认为该病毒对人类构成威胁。 但专家警告说，禽流感的持续传播可能会增加人类面临的风险。 

Researchers said seals and sea lions have been affected in areas such as the northeastern state of Maine and the South American nation of Chile. 研究人员表示，东北部缅因州和南美国家智利等地区的海豹和海狮受到了影响。

The virus has been identified in seals on both the eastern and western coasts of the United States. At least 300 seals have died from bird flu in New England. Somewhat smaller numbers have died in Washington state’s Puget Sound. 在美国东海岸和西海岸的海豹中都发现了这种病毒。 新英格兰至少有 300 只海豹死于禽流感。 华盛顿州普吉特海湾的死亡人数略少。 

Experts said the situation is also severe in South America, where more than 20,000 sea lions have died in Chile and Peru. In addition, thousands of elephant seals have died in Argentina.专家表示，南美洲的情况也很严重，智利和秘鲁已有超过2万只海狮死亡。 此外，阿根廷已有数千只象海豹死亡。 

The virus can be controlled in domesticated animals, but it can spread quickly among wildlife and ocean mammals. In South America, for example, seals that have never been infected with the virus have suffered huge losses, said Marcela Uhart. She is director of the Latin America program at the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis. 该病毒可以在家养动物中得到控制，但可以在野生动物和海洋哺乳动物中迅速传播。 马塞拉·乌哈特说，例如，在南美洲，从未感染过该病毒的海豹遭受了巨大损失。 她是加州大学戴维斯分校凯伦·C·德雷尔野生动物健康中心拉丁美洲项目的主任。 

Uhart said, “Once the virus is in wildlife, it spreads like wildfire, as long as there are susceptible animals and species.” She said the movement of animals “spreads the virus to new areas.” 乌哈特说：“病毒一旦进入野生动物体内，只要存在易感动物和物种，它就会像野火一样传播。” 她说动物的活动“将病毒传播到新的地区”。

Scientists are still researching how the seals got infected. But Uhart said it is most likely from contact with infected seabirds. She noted the death rates have been high in South America since bird flu arrived late in 2022. Birds in Peru and Chile have died from the virus by the hundreds of thousands since then. 科学家们仍在研究海豹是如何被感染的。 但乌哈特表示，这很可能是由于与受感染的海鸟接触所致。 她指出，自 2022 年末禽流感爆发以来，南美洲的死亡率一直很高。自那时起，秘鲁和智利已有数十万只鸟类死于该病毒。 

The worldwide outbreak is continuing, and the virus was even found for the first time in mainland Antarctica in February. Scientists have said bird flu might also have played a part in the deaths of hundreds of endangered Caspian seals in Russia last year. 全球范围内的疫情仍在持续，2月份甚至在南极洲大陆首次发现了该病毒。 科学家表示，去年俄罗斯数百只濒临灭绝的里海海豹死亡也可能与禽流感有关。 

The deaths of seals and sea lions can hurt environments where the sea creatures are near the top of the food chain. Seals help keep the ocean in balance by preventing overpopulation of the fish they feed on. 海豹和海狮的死亡可能会损害处于食物链顶端的海洋生物的环境。 海豹通过防止其捕食的鱼类数量过多来帮助保持海洋平衡。 

Many of the affected animals – such as South American sea lions and Southern elephant seals – have strong populations. But scientists worry about the possibility the virus could jump to more threatened populations. 许多受影响的动物——例如南美海狮和南象海豹——数量众多。 但科学家担心这种病毒可能会传染给更受威胁的人群。

The World Organisation for Animal Health is a Paris-based intergovernmental organization that seeks to provide information about diseases spreading among animals. The group said in a statement the current situation “presents an unprecedented risk of wildlife population collapse, creating an ecological crisis." 世界动物卫生组织是一个总部位于巴黎的政府间组织，致力于提供有关动物间传播疾病的信息。 该组织在一份声明中表示，目前的情况“带来了野生动物数量崩溃的前所未有的风险，从而造成生态危机。” 

Some scientists and environmental activists say there could be a link between the bird flu outbreak and warming oceans connected to climate change. 一些科学家和环保活动人士表示，禽流感的爆发与气候变化导致的海洋变暖之间可能存在联系。

Off northern Chile, warmer sea temperatures reduce the population of smaller fish in the area. This can make sea lions weaker and more likely to catch a disease, said Liesbeth van der Meer. She directs the environmental group Oceana in Chile. 智利北部海域，海水温度升高导致该地区小型鱼类的数量减少。 利斯贝斯·范德梅尔说，这会使海狮变得更虚弱，更容易感染疾病。 她领导着智利的环保组织 Oceana。 

Van der Meer said scientists and environmentalists are hopeful that vaccinating poultry will help lessen disease spread. She noted that health officials have also warned humans to avoid any contact with possibly infected animals in the wild. 范德梅尔说，科学家和环保人士希望为家禽接种疫苗将有助于减少疾病传播。 她指出，卫生官员还警告人类避免与野外可能受感染的动物有任何接触。