Biosecurity officials have confirmed there have been no further detections of H5 bird flu in New Zealand, following the country’s first confirmed case in a wild seabird earlier this week.
Authorities say there is no evidence the virus has spread among wild bird populations or commercial poultry, providing reassurance while surveillance efforts continue across the country.
The only confirmed detection remains a single ocean-going seabird found on Petone Beach. Specialist investigators have since completed further inspections of the area and found nothing else of concern.
Officials note that it is common during winter to find individual dead seabirds along New Zealand’s coastline due to storms and other natural causes, and there have been no signs of mass bird deaths that would indicate wider transmission of the virus.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says New Zealand’s surveillance network remains well established, drawing on reports from wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, veterinarians, the commercial poultry industry and the public.
Over the past 12 months, more than 2,500 wild birds and 12,500 commercial poultry have been tested as part of ongoing monitoring for avian influenza.
While the current risk remains low, MPI is continuing to encourage New Zealanders to stay alert and report any unusual bird deaths.
Members of the public are asked to report three or more sick or dead wild birds found together by calling the Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or submitting a report through MPI’s online reporting system.
People are also being reminded not to touch or move sick or dead birds. Instead, they should record as much information as possible, including the bird species if known, the number of birds affected, the exact location and photographs where it is safe to do so.
Biosecurity officials say rapid reporting is critical to ensuring any future cases are detected quickly, allowing authorities to respond before the virus has an opportunity to spread.
New Zealand continues to maintain heightened surveillance as highly pathogenic avian influenza circulates overseas, with protecting native wildlife, the poultry sector and the country’s strong biosecurity system remaining a top priority.
#WaateaNews #BirdFlu #H5N1 #Biosecurity #MPI #Wildlife #Poultry #PublicHealth #Environment #AvianInfluenza #Aotearoa #RadioWaatea
