Issue 3, 19 November 2024
Getting ready for bird flu with good biosecurity
We are encouraging people who own backyard or domestic poultry, heritage breeds or other pet birds to be ready for bird flu in case it arrives in New Zealand by practising good biosecurity.
While high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) is still some distance from New Zealand and we’ve never had a case here, it’s important that we take a cautious approach.
New Zealand has an advantage over many other countries that have experienced the H5N1 strain of HPAI, in that we have time to prepare. There are steps bird owners can take now to protect their birds from HPAI if it arrives here.
The Ministry for Primary Industries Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Mary van Andel says it’s important that all bird owners understand the risk of bird flu and are prepared for it.
“We’ve been working closely with the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand and the Egg Producers Federation to support industry preparedness, and now we are widening the focus to educate other poultry and bird owners about the disease and how to prepare.”
Free-range birds and birds with easy access to outdoor areas are at a higher risk because of the greater likelihood of contact with wild birds or contaminated material.
Thousands of New Zealanders own chickens or ducks or keep pet birds. Because there’s no requirement to register pet birds or backyard poultry in New Zealand, we don’t know the exact numbers, but estimates are there are at least 50-60,000. Having good biosecurity practices in place will help to protect birds from bird flu, and other pests and diseases.
The wildlife adapted strain of HPAI H5N1 is spread by wild birds, meaning it’s unlikely we’ll be able to keep it out of New Zealand or eradicate it once it establishes in wild birds. The best way to keep backyard and pet birds safe is to prevent contact with infected birds or contaminated materials and environments.
Bird owners can follow the biosecurity steps on the MPI website to protect their birds, before bird flu arrives in New Zealand.
Bird flu, be ready advertisements will run on social media and in specialist publications from mid- November in the lead up to Christmas. The advertising will encourage bird owners to follow the biosecurity steps on the MPI website to protect their birds.
The advertising is part of the readiness work that MPI is undertaking with partners the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and the poultry industry to prepare for HPAI should it arrive in New Zealand.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Mary van Andel with Wairarapa Eggs owner Chris Martin, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard, PIANZ and EPF Executive Director Michael Brooks and Biosecurity New Zealand Manager, Operational Readiness Dr Chris Kebbell during a visit to Wairarapa Eggs in November.
Government confirms approach to HPAI H5N1
The Government has confirmed the high-level One Health approach to HPAI H5N1, led by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Department of Conservation (DOC), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, in partnership with industry.
If HPAI arrives in New Zealand, MPI will activate an initial response and establish an incident management team to coordinate early response activities nationally and regionally.
If the disease becomes established in our wild bird population as expected, a long-term approach to managing the disease and minimising its impact will be necessary. This will be led by industry, with the support of MPI.
Dr Chris Kebbell, Manager of Operational Readiness, says this means that an HPAI response is likely to look different than a typical biosecurity response.
“If HPAI H5N1 becomes established in wild birds here, we won’t be able to eradicate it from the wild bird population, so our focus will be on mitigating the impact on the commercial poultry sector and supporting industry’s long-term management of the disease in New Zealand.
“H5N1 will spread in wild bird movements, so the best option for mitigating the risk of HPAI infecting a commercial flock and managing the disease is through education: knowing about the disease and what to expect and strengthening on-farm biosecurity controls and preparedness.”
How DOC is preparing for HPAI
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is leading work to mitigate risks to threatened species, and to manage outbreaks on public conservation land.
This virus spreads rapidly through close contact. HPAI is transmitted between colony birds through secretions and faeces, and to predator/scavenger species such as raptors and marine mammals through exposure and consumption.
There is no cure for HPAI. Effective management targets population support through the species recovery programmes; focusing on increasing baseline health and increasing population resilience.
DOC is developing response plans for its District offices, identifying high risk sites and activities, and plans for endangered species that may be impacted, including any management options that can be implemented such as vaccination and captive management where appropriate.
Once HPAI is spreading in wildlife populations in New Zealand, it will be here forever, with periods when outbreaks are high. During periods of active outbreaks, areas of Public Conservation Land and Waters may have restricted access or be temporarily closed. This is to reduce stress on wildlife and prevent humans (and their pets) from catching the disease or disturbing birds, spreading the disease to more locations. These decisions will be made based on a variety of factors including the nature and site of the outbreak, species infected, and time of year.
During outbreaks of HPAI, people may see high numbers of dead birds, and this may be upsetting as well as presenting an environmental hazard. In some circumstances, collecting carcasses may have a negative impact due to the disturbance of surviving birds. In other situations, it may be necessary to collect and dispose of carcasses to avoid risks to human health or to reduce exposure for a particular species of concern. Where necessary, carcasses will be collected and disposed of under strict biosecurity protocols, and the public will be asked not to handle dead or sick birds in these situations.
Although there is no cure for HPAI, we know from international experience that some affected birds do recover. These birds may carry immunity from the disease and, in most cases, leaving them alone and minimising other pressures and disturbance will give them the best possible chance of survival.
For a few species, vaccination might be an effective tool during outbreaks to protect a core breeding population to prevent species extinction.
In early 2024, DOC began a trial to assess the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in five species: kakī (black stilt), takahē, kākāpō, tūturuatu (shore plover), red-crowned kākāriki (as a surrogate for kākāriki karaka).
The first phase of the trial is now complete. This involved giving all the birds involved in the trial two doses of the vaccine at least one month apart.
None of the birds have shown an adverse reaction to the vaccine and initial tests show antibodies have been detected in all five species. However, DOC needs to wait until the trial is complete for a fuller picture and more conclusive results on the potential protection provided by the vaccine against HPAI.
The second phase of the trial is still underway and will be completed by July 2025. This involves regular health assessments and blood tests of the trial birds to monitor their reactions and presence of antibodies.
It will not be possible or impactful to vaccinate all endangered birds, due to the efficacy of the vaccine and the feasibility of catching wild birds. Focus will be on those species where two doses of vaccine can be given and reassess as more is learned about susceptibility of native species.
If shown to be effective, the vaccine could be used if HPAI arrived in New Zealand. It would need to be used once HPAI arrival was imminent or already here to ensure the protection was recent and strong.
For the latest information on DOC’s preparation work, visit DOC's website
Working with industry and local government to be ready
A key focus of MPI’s readiness work is ensuring that the commercial poultry industry is prepared for the possible arrival of HPAI and has processes in place to manage HPAI if it arrives.
We know that strong on-farm biosecurity will be an essential first line of defence against HPAI, and we are working closely with industry groups the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand and the Egg Producers Federation to strengthen business continuity and resilience in the event of an outbreak of HPAI. This work will support farmers and growers to have robust on-farm biosecurity plans in place, as well as supporting all parts of the wider industry to be prepared.
At the same time, we are working with industry to develop a National Readiness and Response Guideline for HPAI. The Guideline will outline preparations for a possible outbreak and what a response to an outbreak of HPAI could look like.
One aspect of this work is planning for the depopulation and disposal of birds on commercial farms If HPAI spreads to New Zealand and is detected in poultry. MPI will be working with industry and local authorities in areas with significant regional commercial poultry footprints to identify and confirm the disposal options available in their area – for example, landfill, on-farm burial, composting, etc. Our aim is to identify and confirm disposal arrangements before HPAI arrives.
Update on HPAI overseas
We continue to see news from the US about spillover events into other mammals. We’re not surprised by these events, but we are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
There have also been detections of HPAI in commercial poultry in Europe and the United Kingdom, as expected due to seasonal HPAI outbreaks in the past. Testing has identified the UK strain as H5N5.
For the latest information from the US and UK, click on the links below.
Resources
Biosecurity New Zealand’s information and advice on HPAI
Avian influenza – Department of Conservation
Highly pathogenic avian influenza – Health New Zealand
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