Table of Contents
VOH – On December 2, New Zealand recorded the first case of H7 highly pathogenic avian influenza infection at a farm in the southern region of the island.
According to a statement from the New Zealand Biosecurity Agency, test results at a chicken farm in the Otago region confirmed that the case of infection was the H7N6 strain, not the H5N1 strain that has the risk of transmitting to humans as commonly seen.
An official in New Zealand said: “We are studying the situation carefully… Tests show that this case is not related to the H7 case discovered in Australia in the middle of this year.”
In early June, the state government of New South Wales (Australia) confirmed an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N8 bird flu strain in the greater Sydney area.
New South Wales Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said it was an isolated disease, likely originating from wild birds.
