The deadly avian influenza H5N1 is sweeping the globe and nearing Australia.
Outbreaks of the virus were discovered by French scientists last on Possesion Island in the Crozet archipelago, on 17 October, and Kerguelen Island on 11 November.
Kerguelen is only 440km from Australia’s remote Heard and McDonald Island and 4,000km southwest of Perth.
It is unknown how the virus got to the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.
A new study published on BioRxiv suggested the virus was carried from South Georgia Island, which is in the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South America.
Australian scientists came up with three potential scenarios for H5N1 infiltrating the country in 2023.
University of Melbourne microbiologist, Michelle Wille said this previous work suggested that a northern route was most likely but now there are questions around seabirds cruising the southern ocean could carry the virus to Australia.
"Now we need to think about this Antarctic route, or subantarctic route," she told ABC News.
"We're in totally new territory here … there's many possible scenarios here.
“Collectively we need to sit down and work this out.”
