Bird flu spread likely inevitable as first case confirmed
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
What you need to know:
A sick skua found on Petone beach has since died and found to have H5 bird flu
H5 bird flu is low risk to human health unless there is prolonged contact. Eggs and poultry are still safe to eat
If you see a wild bird acting oddly, seems ill or more than one dead bird call the pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66
If you can do so safely, take photos but do not handle the birds
The spread of H5 bird flu in New Zealand is now inevitable with the discovery of a sick brown skua - found on Petone beach on July 10 - confirmed to have the disease.
The ocean-going bird, discovered by a member of the public, has since died. It had been taken to Wellington Zoo where it was tested two days ago. It is the first confirmed case in New Zealand.
The skua had been acting oddly, letting people approach it.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said at a press conference on Wednesday evening it was inevitable that more birds would showup on our shores coming from Antarctica with the flu.
“It poses a major risk to both the poultry industry and native birdlife,” he said.
It was inevitable more birds would show up with the illness but it was hard to know how inevitable it was that it would reach the poultry sector.
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He emphasised that the poultry industry needed strong biosecurity preparedness - and had been preparing.
“I feel like we are very well prepared for this disease arriving - we are effectively one of the last places in the world to get this,” he said.
“We are prepared as we can be.”
MPI officials have travelled overseas to see how other countries are managing the disease, formally known as H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b.
Work had been ongoing with members of the poultry industry to put safeguards in place, but the death rate for chickens was up to 100%.
“We would like to reassure the public that all the necessary steps are in place to manage this outbreak and protect our birds, people and the food supply,” said Poultry Industry of New Zealand executive director Fiona MacMillan.
“Our egg and poultry farmers are working hard to look after the welfare of our animals and protect our national food supply of eggs and chicken.”
Professor Dianne Brunton from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland said it was not a question of when the disease arrived but when it would establish.
'While there is no suggestion of mass mortality in our wildlife or transmission between New Zealand birds, it is just a matter of time before H5N1 does establish.“
She said the response plans made by MPI, DoC, Ministry of Health and others were now critical.
“This bird was found in a populated area and we just don’t know how many birds may be out there with the virus in more remote areas, it is unlikely to be zero.'
As well as poultry and native birds, marine mammals and birds of prey that eat infected birds can also get the illness.
On Thursday, Ministry for Primary Industries’ chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said there had been no further detections and specialists teams had been out at Petone beach and nothing of further concern has been found.
It was not unusual at this time of year to find individual dead birds of different breeds along our coastlines, due to storms and other natural events, she said.
Her minister agreed.
“We were always expecting it would be springtime, when these birds start migrating out of Antarctica, up through the Southern Ocean. So we’re going to see the same pattern very similar to Australia where there will be more show up on the shorelines,” Hoggard said on Wednesday.
Professor of Conservation Biology James Russell from Auckland University said overseas experience suggested impacts were strongest on waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans) and seabirds (penguins, gannets, gulls, skuas, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters).
“. Many of our bird species are not found overseas and so before bird flu arrives their vulnerability is not exactly known.”
Hoggard asked New Zealanders to be alert, not to handle birds they thought may be ill and to call in the experts. He also warned about people letting pets near wild birds.
H5 bird flu is a low health risk to the public as it rarely affects humans unless there is direct, close, and prolonged contact with large numbers of sick birds. Eggs and poultry remain safe to eat.
Hoggard said if anyone saw dead or sick birds, report it, take photos, get a GPS spot if possible and send it through.
University of Otago virologist Professor Jemma Geoghegan, said there was no reason for public panic.
“People should avoid handling sick or dead birds and report unusual wildlife mortality,” she said. “Early reporting will help us to respond quickly and reduce the risk to native wildlife and poultry.'
DOC has started a vaccination programme for 300 core breeding birds from five of our most endangered birds - kākāpō, takahē, shore plover, kakī/black stilt and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.
Zoos are taking immediate precautions. Wellington Zoo remained open but was cancelling its encounters with kororā/little penguins.
The zoo will also not be accepting or admitting any injured birds directly from members of the public to Te Kōhanga The Nest but has said they will still be accepting birds from DOC and other partners.
What people can do
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 from anywhere in New Zealand.
Don’t handle or move the birds. Go to www.mpi.govt.nz/bird-flu to find out more.