New Zealand has confirmed its first case of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu after a migratory brown skua found on a beach near Wellington tested positive, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard announced on Wednesday.
The detection comes just weeks after Australia reported the virus, making New Zealand the latest country to record the deadly strain, which has spread rapidly through wild bird and mammal populations worldwide since 2021. The outbreak has killed millions of birds and affected poultry farms, dairy cattle and some farm workers in several countries.
Despite the detection, Hoggard said there is currently no evidence of widespread transmission among New Zealand’s wild birds or any infections in poultry.
“There is no evidence of any mass wildlife deaths or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand, and no cases have been detected in poultry,” he said.
Authorities expect New Zealand could experience a similar situation to neighbouring Australia, which has recorded 14 confirmed or suspected H5 bird flu cases as of Wednesday.
The government has been preparing for the virus by working closely with the poultry industry to strengthen biosecurity measures and response plans. Officials also plan to expand surveillance and testing efforts while continuing existing prevention strategies.
Experts are particularly concerned about the country’s unique native bird species, many of which evolved without land predators and are especially vulnerable. Numerous species are flightless, nest on the ground and are already endangered due to habitat loss and introduced predators such as stoats, rats and feral cats.
To help protect vulnerable wildlife, authorities have begun vaccinating around 300 breeding birds from five critically endangered species, including the flightless kākāpō and takahē. The vaccine was trialled last year without any reported side effects, although its effectiveness against H5N1 remains uncertain as the birds have not been exposed to the virus.
Wildlife health expert Professor Brett Gartrell of Massey University warned that an uncontrolled outbreak could have devastating consequences for New Zealand’s biodiversity.
“We are incredibly worried because many of New Zealand’s native birds have never encountered a disease like this before,” he said, adding that a rapid spread of the virus could push some critically endangered species closer to extinction.
