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New Zealand government farms connected with virus have been tested properly
New Zealand has said after extensive testing they have been able to contain the strain of highly pathogenic H7N6 avian flu that infected a farm earlier this month. Mary van Andel, chief veterinary officer at the Ministry of Primary Industries, said in a statement the government had tested farms connected with the property and is confident it had been contained to that farm.
"We are on track to stamp out this disease,” said van Andel.
Earlier in December, a positive test for the virus on a chicken farm in Otago, on the South Island was New Zealand's first. The strain is different from the H5N1 bird flu - which has spread globally and raised fears of human transmission.
According to Van Andel, the farm that reported the virus remains under a strict biosecurity lockdown while it undergoes cleaning and decontamination. Following the virus’ discovery, New Zealand suspended all poultry exports. Van Andel said the government was in close contact with trade partners and an agreement has been reached with Australia to continue exporting some poultry products.
What is the H7N6 avian flu?
Avian influenza – also known as bird flu, is a viral infection that mainly affects birds, even though the strain spills over to mammals. There are different types of bird flu viruses and they do not spread easily from animals to people, or from person to person. Avian influenza generally only spreads to people who have had a lot of close unprotected contact with infected birds or other infected animals.
The H7N6 strain - recently detected in New Zealand has never been found to infect people and the health risk for people from this strain is very low. There has never been a human case of avian influenza reported in Aotearoa.
How does H7N6 avian influenza spread?
According to experts, avian influenza spreads from animals to people through close unprotected contact with an infected bird or other animal, or their droppings, saliva, or contaminated materials. This includes:
- Touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching infected live or dead birds or other animals
- Touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching droppings (poo) or other animal materials
- Those with avian influenza do not easily spread the virus to other people. On the rare occasion this has happened, it was because a person infected with avian influenza had a lot of close regular contact with another person, who then became sick too.
Signs and symptoms of bird flu
Signs and symptoms of avian influenza include:
- High fever or feeling hot and shivery
- Aching muscles
- Headache
- A cough or breathlessness
- Diarrhoea
- stomach pain
- Chest pain
- Bleeding from the nose or gums
- Eye or eyelid redness and swelling
Ways to protect yourself from avian influenza
If avian influenza is found in animals in Aotearoa, anyone who has direct exposure or close contact with infected birds or other animals, dead or alive, may be at risk. People who may have a higher chance of coming into contact with infected birds or animals include:
- Bird owners including poultry, pigeons, and pet birds
- Those who work at or visit zoos, animal sanctuaries, and recovery centres
- Hunters, campers, trampers, and recreational fishers
- Farmers
- Older people with compromised immune systems
- Pregnant women
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