Hundreds of flamingos die from bird flu in Argentina
Some 220 James's Flamingos have died in north-west Argentina following an outbreak of bird flu.
The virus is currently spreading through South America, killing birds in Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. The latest victims involve the flamingo species, which lives at high altitudes in the Andean plateaus of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and north-west Argentina.
More than 200 James's Flamingos have died in Argentina after contracting bird flu (Christian Mehlführer).
Some of the tests carried out on the flamingos found dead in the province of Catamarca came back positive for bird flu. Local authorities said they had put in place measures to contain the spread of the virus. They also warned locals not to touch any dead animals.
The lagoons in the area are also home to two other species of flamingo – Andean and Chilean – but so far only James's Flamingos appear to have been infected.
