New Zealanders are being urged not to handle sick or dead birds though there has not been any detection in poultry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a coastal detection in an individual ocean-going seabird and there is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand,\u201d Hoggard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation is being closely monitored, but at this stage there is no evidence of any illness beyond this seabird. We\u2019ve had people out on Petone Beach checking and found no other issues. We will continue to monitor the beach and surrounding areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said H5 bird flu posed a \u201clow\u201d risk to the public because it \u201crarely affects humans\u201d unless there is direct, close and prolonged contact with large numbers of sick birds. <\/p>\n
Eggs and poultry remained safe to eat, it said.<\/p>\n
Hoggard said Australia had recently recorded isolated detections of H5 bird flu in coastal birds without widespread outbreaks, and New Zealand could see a similar pattern.<\/p>\n
He said New Zealand\u2019s first case of the illness was \u201cnot a human health issue\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst the disease has spread occasionally to humans overseas, there has been no human-to-human transmission. As long as you do not touch them and have lots of contact with birds, the risk is very low.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoggard said he believes New Zealand is very well prepared for this given we are one of the last countries in the world to have an outbreak.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had that preparation well in place and we have been doing a lot of work with the poultry sector in terms of coming up with template biosecurity plans and then MPI\u2019s on-farm team has also been helping poultry farmers come up with fill in the gaps, as it were, for biosecurity preparedness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of being prepared, we\u2019re as prepared as we possibly can be\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
An ocean-going seabird found on Petone Beach in Wellington returned a confirmed positive test for H5 bird flu. Photo \/ Steven McNicholl<\/p>\n
The ministry said it would continue its \u201cwider surveillance\u201d programme and work closely with industry, veterinarians and wildlife carers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are continuing to act early and prepare carefully, while asking the community to remain watchful.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the most important thing is that people keep reporting dead birds, particularly large numbers of them.<\/p>\n
The MPI, the Department of Conservation (DoC), the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora have been preparing for the arrival of H5 bird flu by developing response plans with industry and local councils.<\/p>\n
Anyone who finds three or more sick or dead wild birds together is asked to report them to MPI on 0800 80 99 66. <\/p>\n
People are advised not to handle or move the birds, and to provide photographs and as much location information as possible when making a report.<\/p>\n
Infected bird found last week<\/p>\n
MPI\u2019s Mary van Andel said the infected bird was found five days ago but was only tested two days ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bird wasn\u2019t showing any clinical signs of illness but once it got to the Wellington Zoo, they assessed the bird and felt it should be tested. It wasn\u2019t reacting as you\u2019d expect a wild bird to do. It was allowing people to approach it, those types of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Andel said the risk to humans is very low.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the cases overseas, it\u2019s mostly in humans who are working with very dense populations of animals, like in chicken sheds, those types of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoggard said other countries have learned to live with it, and we are going to have to learn too.<\/p>\n
He said individual farms will need to minimise the contact of their flocks with wildlife, particularly ducks.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s a case for those that are doing free range or they\u2019ve got barns that may have a few gaps, they need to make sure that they\u2019re secure and they can keep their birds separate from the wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
van Andel said we have unique fauna, marine mammals and birds, which makes a possible outbreak difficult to predict, and preparedness more important.<\/p>\n
A vaccination plan is already being rolled out and critically endangered species are under intensive management programs.<\/p>\n
van Andel said birds and marine mammals can get sick from carcasses.<\/p>\n
Hoggard said there is a risk of an outbreak affecting major production facilities, causing a reduction in eggs and chicken meat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve been so adamant on working towards making sure we\u2019ve got plans in place and working with the industry for a good couple of years now on building up, you know, plans and the preparation so that doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said surveillance would be key to containing the spread, but stressed we wouldn\u2019t necessarily be doing anything interesting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not some sudden change. More testing, but by and large it\u2019s carrying on with the same work with the industry that we\u2019ve been doing so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Poultry industry prepared<\/p>\n
Poultry Industry Association Executive Director Fiona MacMillan told Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive that, on a scale of one to 10, her level of concern about the current bird flu situation was a five.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrying to avoid being worried. I\u2019m being watchful,\u201d MacMillan said.<\/p>\n
She said bird flu could be devastating but they had been preparing for this situation for \u201cquite some time\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said in a sense, this detection did not change anything. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done the work on biosecurity, we\u2019re going to keep doing the work on biosecurity, so that process just has to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
MacMillan said MPI and DoC would be keeping a close eye on the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they\u2019re [the public] out there and they see sick birds or groups of dead birds, follow MPI\u2019s advice. You\u2019re doing everyone a favour by reporting that sort of thing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
MacMillan compared the current situation to preparing for a school exam.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can do all the work, you can study really hard, but you still don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen when exam season hits,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wellington Zoo announces precautions <\/p>\n
Wellington Zoo said it would no longer be accepting or admitting any injured birds to Te K\u014dhanga The Nest \u2013 an animal hospital located on its premises. <\/p>\n
All close encounters with Koror\u0101 penguins have been called off.<\/p>\n
The zoo said on social media it remained open for all visitors and there was no risk to people.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur teams have put extra protections in place to keep both our animals and people safe,\u201d Wellington Zoo said.<\/p>\n