BVD Control Begins Long Before You See A Problem
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is sometimes viewed as a dairy industry issue, but the reality is that the disease can have serious consequences for beef breeding herds as well.
"This positive detection is not a surprise as these ocean-going birds can arrive on our coastlines, especially in poor weather. We expect we will continue to find more cases in wild birds," van Andel says.
The petrel is found by a Department of Conservation (DOC) ranger, who notifies MPI's exotic pest and disease hotline.
MPI's Response
"There were no signs of other issues at the site, but we will carry out precautionary checks along the remote coastline tomorrow," van Andel says.
"The risk to human health remains low and chicken and eggs are safe to eat," van Andel says.
New Zealand's Bird Flu Detections So Far
There have now been three confirmed positive detections of H5 bird flu in New Zealand, all in the Wellington region. The detections involve individual wild birds, with no mass mortality events and no detections in poultry to date.
Samples are received by MPI's Animal Health Laboratory on 14 August. Initial tests find the bird has a low level of influenza virus, requiring several rounds of testing to confirm H5 bird flu.
"Given this species is known to be affected by bird flu and the location, we wanted to be thorough with our testing despite the low viral load," van Andel says.
Ongoing Surveillance and Industry Support
"MPI remains focused on surveillance to track the movement of bird flu so we can help protect our poultry industry and support DOC's work with native wildlife," van Andel says.
"By building a precise picture through testing, we help egg and chicken producers make good decisions about the best biosecurity measures to protect their flocks and keep operating."
Alongside industry, MPI continues to offer one-on-one support and advice to poultry and egg operations in the Wairarapa and Wellington.
Since the first H5 bird flu detections in New Zealand, MPI reports a strong response from the public reporting groups of unwell or dead birds.
"MPI experts consider every notification and triage them based on internationally recognised processes for assessing H5 bird flu risk. Multiple unwell or dead birds, certain species (sea birds, waterfowl, birds that congregate in large groups), and certain locations take priority," van Andel says.
Public Reporting and What To Do
Anyone who sees three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group is urged to report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 from anywhere in New Zealand, or online at report.mpi.govt.nz.
The public is asked not to handle or move the birds.
More information about H5 bird flu is available at mpi.govt.nz/hpai.
