New Zealand has yet to experience a case of H5 bird flu, but the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is vigilantly monitoring the virus and is prepared for its potential arrival.
According to MPI chief veterinary officer Dr. Mary van Andel, there have been five instances of H5 detected in migratory seabirds in Australia, but no transmission has been reported, suggesting a low risk of infected birds migrating to New Zealand.
Van Andel noted that it is common to find exhausted sea birds, like the giant petrel, along New Zealand’s coastlines during this time of year, particularly when large winter southerly storms occur.
Following bird flu detections in Australia, van Andel reported an increase in notifications of dead and sick wildlife to MPI; however, all tests have returned negative for bird flu.
Ross Trotter, Department of Conservation (DoC) Golden Bay operations manager, stated that the giant petrel was discovered by Pest Free Onetahua staff on Wednesday evening.
Trotter mentioned that giant petrels frequently visit New Zealand, and Onetahua Farewell Spit is a known hotspot for them, making their presence in the area unsurprising.
DoC staff collected a sample from the petrel, which will be analyzed at MPI’s animal health laboratory.
