Lyro
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BIRD FLU STRATEGY FOR NATIVES STILL UP IN THE AIR
By Kent Atkinson (Stuff)
July 21, 2006
Biosecurity officials say they are still working with the Department of Conservation to decide which native birds should be vaccinated if there is an outbreak of a dangerous form of bird flu in New Zealand.
"Vaccination may be used in certain species or situations as a short-term measure when there is a significant and immediate threat," said biosecurity official Ron Thornton.
"Emergency vaccination may be used in New Zealand to avoid local spread, or to protect socially or culturally valuable collections or in threatened indigenous birds".
DOC officials have previously said they will pick key sites to try to vaccinate important species if the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza occurs in New Zealand.
But though vaccination reduces clinical symptoms and the spread of the virus, birds may still be infected and will need to be monitored closely.
According to a DOC threatened species veterinarian, Kate McInnes, of Wellington, New Zealand's most vulnerable species include whio (blue duck), Campbell Island teal, brown teal, weka, banded rail, black robins and kiwi.
Because flightless birds such as ostriches and emus have shown susceptibility overseas to bird flu strains, kiwi are likely to be front-runners for vaccination, as are the highly inbred black robin and kakapo species.
Some environmental groups, such as Forest and Bird, have proposed that in the event of an outbreak offshore sanctuaries should be quarantined to protect their inhabitants.
Wild birds are considered to be a risk in New Zealand because most migratory birds arriving here are shorebirds or waders, rather than waterfowl, which are more likely to spread the virus.
All outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds overseas have been sub-types known as H5 and H7 forms.
About 3500 samples have been taken from wild birds in New Zealand in the past 30 years, and only one H7 and two H5 viruses have been found.
The virus finds were in mallard ducks and all were of low pathogenicity and harmless to both birds and humans.
Since May, officials working with the poultry industry had set up surveillance to meet new international reporting requirements to show New Zealand was free from the most severe bird flu, highly pathogenic avian influenza.
"New Zealand broiler flocks are free of avian influenza virus," said Dr Thornton, a senior official at Biosecurity NZ, an arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
A survey of boiler chickens had checked blood samples to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) specifications, said Dr Thornton.
Samples from broiler farms throughout the nation were checked at the Biosecurity Investigation and Diagnostic Centre at Wallaceville, near Wellington, but did not show any notifiable strains of avian influenza virus.
All layer flocks, broiler flocks, breeder chicken flocks, backyard chicken flocks, emus and ostriches, farmed ducks and geese, game birds and wild birds will need to be monitored in future
Results from a similar survey of layer hens are expected in the next few weeks.
Dr Thornton said officials were also planning how to check the other bird populations for avian influenza viruses, which occur naturally in many species of healthy wild birds ? especially waterfowl such as ducks and geese ? usually in strains with low pathogenicity which are harmless to humans.
The highly pathogenic bird flu which has killed at least 132 people overseas since it started ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003 is the H5N1 strain.
It remains very difficult for humans to catch, but world health experts fear the virus could mutate into a human influenza that spreads easily among people, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions around the world.
But Dr Thornton said that in the "unlikely event" highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in New Zealand, the Government would move to eradicate it.
The response to a strain of low pathogenicity would depend on independent technical advice.
Members of the public have been asked to report large numbers of sick or dead birds because one indicator of a serious bird flu is for very high death rates among birds over just a few days.
There have been no imports of live birds into New Zealand since 1997, except for zoo species such flamingos, but bird flu virus could still travel in faeces on packaging, clothing, or machinery from infected countries.
Source: www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3738559a7693,00.html
By Kent Atkinson (Stuff)
July 21, 2006
Biosecurity officials say they are still working with the Department of Conservation to decide which native birds should be vaccinated if there is an outbreak of a dangerous form of bird flu in New Zealand.
"Vaccination may be used in certain species or situations as a short-term measure when there is a significant and immediate threat," said biosecurity official Ron Thornton.
"Emergency vaccination may be used in New Zealand to avoid local spread, or to protect socially or culturally valuable collections or in threatened indigenous birds".
DOC officials have previously said they will pick key sites to try to vaccinate important species if the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza occurs in New Zealand.
But though vaccination reduces clinical symptoms and the spread of the virus, birds may still be infected and will need to be monitored closely.
According to a DOC threatened species veterinarian, Kate McInnes, of Wellington, New Zealand's most vulnerable species include whio (blue duck), Campbell Island teal, brown teal, weka, banded rail, black robins and kiwi.
Because flightless birds such as ostriches and emus have shown susceptibility overseas to bird flu strains, kiwi are likely to be front-runners for vaccination, as are the highly inbred black robin and kakapo species.
Some environmental groups, such as Forest and Bird, have proposed that in the event of an outbreak offshore sanctuaries should be quarantined to protect their inhabitants.
Wild birds are considered to be a risk in New Zealand because most migratory birds arriving here are shorebirds or waders, rather than waterfowl, which are more likely to spread the virus.
All outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds overseas have been sub-types known as H5 and H7 forms.
About 3500 samples have been taken from wild birds in New Zealand in the past 30 years, and only one H7 and two H5 viruses have been found.
The virus finds were in mallard ducks and all were of low pathogenicity and harmless to both birds and humans.
Since May, officials working with the poultry industry had set up surveillance to meet new international reporting requirements to show New Zealand was free from the most severe bird flu, highly pathogenic avian influenza.
"New Zealand broiler flocks are free of avian influenza virus," said Dr Thornton, a senior official at Biosecurity NZ, an arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
A survey of boiler chickens had checked blood samples to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) specifications, said Dr Thornton.
Samples from broiler farms throughout the nation were checked at the Biosecurity Investigation and Diagnostic Centre at Wallaceville, near Wellington, but did not show any notifiable strains of avian influenza virus.
All layer flocks, broiler flocks, breeder chicken flocks, backyard chicken flocks, emus and ostriches, farmed ducks and geese, game birds and wild birds will need to be monitored in future
Results from a similar survey of layer hens are expected in the next few weeks.
Dr Thornton said officials were also planning how to check the other bird populations for avian influenza viruses, which occur naturally in many species of healthy wild birds ? especially waterfowl such as ducks and geese ? usually in strains with low pathogenicity which are harmless to humans.
The highly pathogenic bird flu which has killed at least 132 people overseas since it started ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003 is the H5N1 strain.
It remains very difficult for humans to catch, but world health experts fear the virus could mutate into a human influenza that spreads easily among people, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions around the world.
But Dr Thornton said that in the "unlikely event" highly pathogenic avian influenza was found in New Zealand, the Government would move to eradicate it.
The response to a strain of low pathogenicity would depend on independent technical advice.
Members of the public have been asked to report large numbers of sick or dead birds because one indicator of a serious bird flu is for very high death rates among birds over just a few days.
There have been no imports of live birds into New Zealand since 1997, except for zoo species such flamingos, but bird flu virus could still travel in faeces on packaging, clothing, or machinery from infected countries.
Source: www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3738559a7693,00.html