New Zealand Prepares for Avian Influenza Contingency

Wellington, Dec 19 (NationPress) The New Zealand government is preparing to tackle the outbreak of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, following the detection of the HPAI H7N6 strain on December 1.

Approximately 200,000 chickens at Mainland Poultry's commercial free-range egg farm in Hillgrove, Otago, were humanely culled. A farmer was legally mandated to depopulate a farm or shed or implement operational controls, as stated by Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard on Thursday.

The HPAI has not been identified in any other regions of New Zealand, and Hoggard assured, "we are on track to eliminate this outbreak" while addressing the media regarding the current circumstances.

The government has allocated 20 million NZ dollars (approximately 11.26 million U.S. dollars) to support the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in managing unanticipated ongoing costs associated with the H7N6 response. This funding will facilitate extensive scientific testing at the upgraded PC3 laboratory in Wellington, continuous surveillance efforts, and compensation costs, according to Hoggard.

"Testing and monitoring thus far show no evidence of HPAI in farms outside of Mainland Poultry's commercial free-range egg farm at Hillgrove in Otago," he remarked, highlighting that the farm remains under strict biosecurity measures as it undergoes thorough cleaning and decontamination, which will persist for several weeks following the completion of depopulation last week.

In response to the outbreak, approximately 1,400 samples have been collected for testing and analysis at MPI's globally recognized laboratory, the minister noted, adding that the compensation process has been coordinated with the farmer, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The identification of H7N6 at the farm in New Zealand's South Island is not the H5N1 strain that has been responsible for fatalities among poultry, wild birds, and mammals worldwide, according to a statement from MPI earlier this month.