H5N1 bird flu could take hold in New Zealand within months: Govt
Wellington: A newly detected strain of H5N1 avian influenza is likely to become endemic in New Zealand within months, after the country recorded its first case in a wild seabird, a senior veterinary official said on Thursday.
Ministry for Primary Industries’ Chief Veterinary Officer Mary van Andel told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that eradication would be unlikely if the virus establishes in wildlife, reports Xinhua news agency.
The H5 virus was confirmed Wednesday in a seabird found on Petone Beach of the capital Wellington, marking New Zealand’s first detection amid a global outbreak that has spread widely among wild birds.
“New Zealand’s isolation will not keep out this deadly bird virus,” Professor Dianne Brunton at the University of Auckland School of Biological Sciences said, adding that although there is no evidence of mass wildlife deaths or transmission between New Zealand birds, H5N1 is likely to become established in time.
The virus could spill from birds to humans, but such cases are rare, van Andel said, adding that food safety is unaffected.
Professor Jemma Geoghegan, a virologist at the University of Otago, said New Zealand had been preparing for the virus to arrive after its recent spread to Australia and globally.
Rapid testing, genomic sequencing and close monitoring of wild birds will be essential, said Geoghegan.
The Department of Conservation has begun vaccinating 300 core breeding birds from five of New Zealand’s most endangered species, including kakapo and takahe, as part of preparedness efforts.
Massey University epidemiologist Nigel French told RNZ that small, endangered populations, including the critically rare fairy tern, could face extinction if the virus spreads.