Influenza A viruses infect a range of host species, including a large variety of mammals and more than a hundred species of birds. A total of 95 avian fecal samples were collected from penguin colonies in the South Shetland Islands, close to the Antarctic Peninsula, and tested by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to detect avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Five out of seven samples collected from Penguin Island were positive for AIVs.
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