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No new detections of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu have been made – but it’s just a matter of time.
Last week, two birds – a brown skua and a native kāhu – were confirmed to have bird flu.
More than 500 reports of dead or unwell birds had been made since the disease was first detected, MPI chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel told Morning Report.
It received 157 notifications on Saturday alone.
Officials had been out in the Wairarapa and Wellington regions at the weekend and no mass mortality events had been picked up, van Andel said.
“People are really paying attention. We’ve had quite a couple of reports of the same bird multiple times so it’s great that people are so engaged and they are listening to the messaging.”
Van Andel said having learned the disease can come to New Zealand via ocean-moving birds and infect natives meant more cases could be expected.
The disease could not be stopped as ocean moving birds couldn’t be prevented from arriving and native birds couldn’t be stopped from moving across the country.
“One of the important things to remember here is that we don’t know how this disease will affect our wildlife. Some species could be severely affected and some may show very little clinical signs, indeed.”
Learning this information would help give advice to poultry producers and support the Department of Conservation’s work with native wildlife, she said.
Biosecurity of poultry flocks needed to be at a high level, van Andel said.
The disease could enter a flock, for example, by contact including feathers, birds mixing or a dead bird lying in a field with the poultry.
Everyone needed to remain vigilant, she said, but the industry had been working on how to deal with bird flu for several years.
She said MPI was checking in on farms to see if any were needing more advice on biosecurity or if any had any concerns.
Keep your distance. Stay away from sick or dead wildlife. Keep pets away too.
Keep clean. Wash your hands and clean your gear after being outdoors.
Know when to report. The most obvious sign of bird flu is the sudden or unexpected death of multiple birds or marine mammals in a group. Other signs, especially in waterfowl, can include drowsiness, lack of coordination, and an inability to fly. If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or online at report.mpi.govt.nz
If you report online, select the ‘dead or dying wild birds’ option from the dropdown list and then the type of bird you have found. Don’t handle or move the birds.
Bird flu and backyard birds
H5 bird flu can make birds, especially chickens, very sick and often causes death.
MPI advises that this strain has adapted to a wide range of birds and wildlife and can spread quickly and over long distances through infected wild birds. It poses a particular risk to backyard birds, including backyard chickens, ducks, turkeys and other poultry, pet birds and commercially farmed birds.
If you own birds, you can help keep them safe from diseases like bird flu by implementing good biosecurity practices:
- Keep your birds away from wild and sick birds
- Make enclosures birdproof by repairing or blocking holes.
- Keep your birds away from open ponds, lakes, creeks, or other water used by wild birds.
- Keep new birds in a separate area away from other birds (quarantine) for 14 days. Ensure they are healthy before introducing to your flock.
- Keep pet birds such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots, finches, and doves inside, or undercover and separate from wild birds.
- Keep feed and water free of contamination
- Use fencing or netting to keep wild birds away from your bird’s feed and water.
- Buy birds, litter, and feed from accredited sources.
- Make sure the water you use doesn’t come from sources that wild birds frequent or could contaminate. Treated (chlorinated) mains water and bore water that has been tested are less likely to be contaminated.
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