Te Niwha Director Te Pora Thompson says the chook flu unfold ought to trigger “nice concern.”
Amid the worldwide unfold of chook flu pressure — now reported on each continent besides Te Ao o Kiwa/Oceania — Aotearoa New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) is contemplating overhauling about 130 biosecurity roles, a few of which face disestablishment.
A ministry spokesperson couldn’t make clear precisely what number of roles could be dealing with disestablishment however its chief veterinary officer insisted the reductions wouldn’t be made to frontline providers, reminiscent of its port, airport and mail centre groups.
The proposed cuts and adjustments are amongst 1000’s of jobs being misplaced within the public sector because the coalition authorities races to satisfy its Budget 2024/25 deadline of May 30.
In an announcement to Te Ao Māori News this afternoon, MPI’s chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel stated the proposed adjustments wouldn’t influence the ministry’s means to answer excessive pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), an sickness which has by no means been reported in Aotearoa however was earlier this yr detected in useless birds in Antarctica.
“At present, we consider the risk of HPAI arriving here on managed pathways is low but we continuously reassess the threat of HPAI arriving here and monitor international developments,” van Andel stated.
Despite a Texas dairy employee being contaminated in early April, van Andel stated if the illness did arrive on our shores, it was unlikely to be through people.
‘HPAI is currently spreading internationally in wild migratory birds, which is the most plausible path by which it would reach New Zealand.”
Aotearoa is the destination for thousands of migratory birds each year, including the South Polar skua, one of three species with suspected cases registered in Antarctica.
Earlier this year, two dead skua in Antarctica were confirmed to be carrying the bird flu strain.
Spreading around the world
The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has reported A/H5N1, a form of influenza A which affects birds, is causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cow herds across more than a quarter of states.
Speaking about these cases, MPI’s chief veterinary officer stated, “Wild birds are believed to be the source of the infection in the US, although cow-to-cow transmission has not been ruled out.”
In Texas, one dairy employee was confirmed to be contaminated in early April, although human-to-human transmission is but to be reported.
Many nations have developed, authorised and stockpiled H5N1 vaccines in case of widespread transmission amongst people, together with Australia.
Back right here, MPI is encouraging farmers to keep up good biosecurity practices and to report any sick or useless wild birds on their farms to Biosecurity New Zealand’s Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
“The cases in the US are a good reminder for farmers to be proactive with on farm biosecurity measures. Early reporting of any suspicions of HPAI is also important,” van Andel stated.
She stated MPI was receiving common updates from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the CDC, and her counterpart, the US chief veterinary officer.
Concern in New Zealand
Speaking to Te Ao Māori News this afternoon, Te Niwha director Te Pora Thompson says the unfold of A/H5N1 must be trigger for concern in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“We’re working at the moment with MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries), with DoC (Department of Conservation), Professor Gemma Higgins and Dave Winter of ESR (the Institute of Environmental Science and Research) running a project looking at the migration. We’re looking at four inflight path zones within Aotearoa because we know where they come to.”
“It is the sampling of the birds coming in, having a look at the environmental DNA, having a look at metagenomics. Genomics is a massive part of comprehending the impacts because we know from Covid-19, right.”
“We got to look at whakapapa, if you will, about how things are going to potentially end up, so enough sampling needs to happen to be able to mark the trajectory that will take in avian influenza, and then be able to view the dynamics and put together a response accordingly.”
