New Zealand confirms first H5N1 bird flu case in native bird
A colourised electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Mar 26, 2024 shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). (Image: AP/CDC/NIAID)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
New Zealand detected on Friday (Jul 17) the first infection of a native bird by the deadly H5N1 bird flu, days after confirming a migratory seabird had tested positive in the country’s first recorded case of the disease.
A swamp harrier hawk, known locally as a kahu and found in the North Island’s Wairarapa region, had been infected with the virus, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said in a statement.
New Zealand reported its first confirmed detection on Wednesday, in a brown skua found near Wellington.
“While it’s disappointing to find a native bird with H5 bird flu, it’s not unexpected following the confirmation earlier this week of our first case,” Hoggard said.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
“This hawk can go out to the coast – especially in winter to hunt. Hawks can get bird flu by hunting, eating, or scavenging infected birds.”
There had been no detection of bird flu in poultry, he said.
Health officials have started a vaccination programme for 300 core breeding birds from five of the country’s most endangered species, including flightless takahe and kakapo.
Earlier this month, Australia reported its first case of the disease in a local seabird. All previous cases had involved migratory birds.
Source: Reuters/nh
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
