increase font size
Over the weekend, test results confirmed the virus had spread to the final layer shed, something Anderson says was not unexpected.
Biosecurity New Zealand says continued testing and monitoring shows no signs of avian influenza outside of Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove, Otago farm.
Depopulation efforts are currently underway and are expected to be completed today, says Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson.
The farm remains under a strict biosecurity lockdown.
“The depopulation to date covers all four layer sheds, which held a capacity of 160,000 chickens in total,” Anderson says. “We’ve had an animal welfare specialist on site to observe depopulation operations.”
Over the weekend, test results confirmed the virus had spread to the final layer shed, something Anderson says was not unexpected.
“We had already planned to depopulate this shed before those results came in as we knew that spread was almost certain,” he says.
A separate facility on the farm, away from the layer sheds and housing 40,000 rearing chickens, will also be cleared.
The depopulation of that facility will begin today.
“International experience tells us there is no other way to manage the risk of spread of this virus other than full farm depopulation, followed by cleaning, and decontamination,” Anderson says.
“We’ve moved quickly in the past week to put in restrictions, investigate, track, and test, and I thank the farmer involved and our industry partners for their help – together we’ve made strong progress,” he adds.
Over 1,200 samples have been received to date, with hundreds still being analysed at a time in Biosecurity New Zealand’s PC3 laboratory in Wallaceville in Wellington.
The response team has over 200 staff members across the Ministry for Primary Industries.
“We continue to put significant resource into eliminating H7N6, and we are confident we are on the right track to stamp it out,” says Anderson.
There remains no risk to eggs and chicken supply in New Zealand given the size of the national flock, nor any issues for food safety, and the risk to human health remains low.
Testing confirms H5 bird flu in a single northern giant petrel, found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach in the Wairarapa, says Dr Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) Chief Veterinary Officer.
OPINION: It's a tough pill to swallow that bird flu (avian influenza) has finally arrived in New Zealand. This is a moment many of us have hoped would never come.
Blueberry growers are warning that fresh imports could pose a huge biosecurity risk for NZ’s horticulture sector.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says no new cases of H5 bird flu have been detected following a case found earlier this week.
New Zealanders are being urged to be alert following a confirmed positive case of H5 bird flu this week.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
Interest in agritech and production animal systems has prompted Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment to new majors to its popular animal science degree.
Ballance Agrinutrients chief executive Kelvin Wickham says despite a tough year, he is pleased the business has returned to profit.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
