A detailed study on the impact of avian flu was carried out on the Bass Rock<\/a> in Scotland which is home to 150,000 gannets, the largest single gannet colony in the world that was impacted by an outbreak of avian flu last year.<\/p>\n Whilst the virus responsible for avian flu has been affecting both domestic and wild birds for decades, the current outbreak appears to have been severely impacting seabirds, especially gannets.<\/p>\n Researchers examined the numbers and breeding success of the Bass Rock gannets and whether they were potentially able to recover from an infection.<\/p>\n Black irises \u2013 instead of the vivid blue \u2013 were first seen in gannets breeding on the Bass Rock last June with colour varying from completely black to mottled.<\/p>\n The team took blood samples from 18 apparently healthy adult gannets with both normal and black irises which were tested for bird flu antibodies to determine whether the birds had been previously infected. Eight tested positive, of which seven had black irises.<\/p>\n More related content:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Bird flu guide: what is avian influenza, which species does it affect, and how to report dead birds<\/a><\/p>\n Why China is the source of the disastrous avian flu (bird flu) outbreak<\/a><\/p>\n Where to see gannets in the UK<\/a><\/p>\n How do diving gannets avoid breaking their necks?<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> \u00a0<\/p>\n![\""Northern\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/23\/2023\/05\/Gannet-showing-black-eye-indicating-exposure-to-Avian-Flu-April-2023credit-Emily-Burton-Scottish-Seabird-Centre-47e65b1.jpg?quality=90&resize=549%2C413"\" "\\"\"Northern\\"")
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