A lethal virus that has been causing havoc in Northern California has now made its way to the southern part of the state, prompting warnings from officials.

In Ano Nuevo State Park near Santa Cruz last month, dozens of avian flu cases were recorded, leading to the deaths of 47 elephant seals and the infection of 27 more. Alarmingly, the virus has also been detected in a sea otter.

Recently, scientists at UC Davis identified a case of the HPAI H5N1 strain in a sea lion that washed ashore near San Luis Obispo, a location approximately two hours north of Santa Barbara.

A spokesperson for the research team noted, “Juvenile sea lions are known to forage along the central California coast, traveling as far south as the primary sea lion breeding colonies on the Channel Islands.”

Monitoring of marine mammal populations along the coast is ongoing as researchers continue their efforts to track the spread of the virus. The infected sea lion, estimated to be one or two years old, was discovered on Morro Strand State Beach last Thursday, according to authorities.

The Central California Marine Animal Response Team examined the young sea lion and confirmed the presence of avian flu.

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A statement from the team said: “This is the first report of HPAI in a marine mammal from San Luis Obispo County.”

They were quick to add the risk to humans was low but still warned not to approach a sick or dead animal lying on the beach.

Last month the highly pathogenic avian flu ripped across the Bay Area, leaving a trail of carcasses and forced state officials to lock down one of the most popular destinations.

Patrick Robinson, director of the Año Nuevo reserve, said: “They were certainly not expecting to see a sea otter.”

He described a grim daily routine of discovering at least two dead and two infected animals every day.

The park was forced to cancel its famous guided tours and officials warned the public the virus had spread to parts of public beaches.