September 22, 2008

  

New Zealand faces low pathogenic bird flu

       

 

A low-grade strain of bird flu was detected in wild mallard ducks by New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Biosecurity.

 

Poultry owners should ensure wild waterbirds could not gain access to poultry feed or water and should limit contact between wild waterbirds and poultry, Biosecurity Queensland's chief veterinary officer Ron Glanville said.

 

The wild mallard ducks in New Zealand have been tested positive for the low pathogenic form of bird flu for the first time, but the infection is not expected to cause disease problems in birds.

 

A total of 1241 samples of healthy wild birds took place at 7 locations across New Zealand in February as part of AI surveillance, and were collected from mostly mallard ducks and some migratory bird species.

 

Neither Australia nor New Zealand has ever detected a highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 bird flu.

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