{"id":551966,"date":"2026-07-16T02:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T02:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/551966\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T02:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T02:44:08","slug":"fears-for-new-zealands-native-species-as-first-bird-flu-case-emerges-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/551966\/","title":{"rendered":"Fears for New Zealand\u2019s native species as first bird flu case emerges | New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"

The deadly H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in New Zealand<\/a> for the first time, sparking alarm that some of the country\u2019s most beloved and vulnerable native birds could be wiped out if it spreads.<\/p>\n

A single ocean-going seabird, a brown skua, returned a confirmed positive test on Wednesday, after it was found on Petone beach in Wellington on 10 July, said Andrew Hoggard, the biosecurity minister.<\/p>\n

In New Zealand, where birds hold a significant place in the culture and ecosystem, the virus has the potential to be catastrophic. However, New Zealand has been preparing for the possible arrival of bird flu for years and a vaccination programme<\/a> is under way for five species of endangered birds in captive breeding programmes, including the charismatic k\u0101k\u0101p\u014d<\/a> and takah\u0113<\/a>. The ministry for primary industries said it has a well-established surveillance programme that spans wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, the poultry industry, vets and the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cBird flu is an unwelcome threat to our bird species who are already under more extreme and multiple pressures than ever before,\u201d said James Russell, professor of conservation biology at the University of Auckland.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, there will be little we can do to stop this virus impacting our wild bird populations, but through taking meaningful actions which reduce other pressures, we can set up our bird populations as strongly as possible to recover after the virus has swept through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoggard said: \u201cThere is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand.\u201d However he urged the public to be vigilant.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are continuing to act early and prepare carefully, while asking the community to remain watchful and report three or more sick or dead birds in a group to the pest and disease hotline.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deadly bird flu strain started in Asia, and has been spreading across Europe and the Americas since 2021, arriving in Antarctica during the 2023-24 summer. Australia recorded its first confirmed cases on the mainland in early July<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The virus has killed millions of birds worldwide and in some areas, reduced bird populations<\/a> by 75%. Signs of disease include weakness and seizures, head twisting, and breathing distress.<\/p>\n

New Zealand\u2019s only endemic mammal species are bats and marine mammals. Consequently, its birds evolved in unusual and idiosyncratic ways. The country is home to more species of flightless birds, both living and extinct, than any other place in the world and has the most diverse population of seabirds globally.<\/p>\n

About 80% of native birds are already considered endangered, with more than a dozen on the verge of extinction.<\/p>\n

Jemma Geoghegan, a virologist at the University of Otago, said New Zealand had an advantage because it was \u201cnot facing this blindly\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can draw on several years of international experience, including the recent Australian response, to guide surveillance, wildlife monitoring and outbreak management.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the virus presented a \u201cbig unknown\u201d because not all species are equally susceptible, said Nigel French, distinguished professor of infectious disease epidemiology and public health at Massey University.<\/p>\n

Species that tend to gather in large colonies, particularly shorebirds and other scavenging species, are likely most at risk, French said. Many of these are types of birds that are already endangered, including the fairy tern \u2013 population 50.<\/p>\n

Marine mammals, such as New Zealand\u2019s nationally endangered sea lions, were also at risk of catching the virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be really devastating for some of our taonga [treasured] species of birds and some of the rarer native species.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because New Zealand\u2019s bird populations have such huge cultural significance and are particularly vulnerable, it was important the country pulled out all the stops with vaccination and containment, French said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a deep cultural concern for New Zealand as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The deadly H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in New Zealand for the first time, sparking alarm that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551967,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60],"class_list":["post-551966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}