MPI says report sick or dead wild birds, as US dairy cows confirmed with a first-time bird flu

New Zealand has never had a case of high-pathogenicity avian influenza, says the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Farmers and the public are being reminded to report sick or dying wild birds to New Zealand’s biosecurity hotline as US disease-control agencies investigate the first case of highly pathogenic bird influenza virus affecting dairy cows.

Mainly older cows in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico have been affected by the virus known as HPAI, with the US Department of Agriculture, the US Food and Drug Administration and Centres for Disease Control announcing the detection of the virus in lab samples.

The agencies said there were no current safety concerns about the commercial milk supply and consumers were not at risk. Also, routine milk pasteurisation eliminated pathogens and viruses such as influenza, the agencies said.

The US veterinarian member group, AVMA, said in a statement it was the first time HPAI had been identified as affecting dairy cattle and only the second time the virus had been detected in a ruminant or grazing animal. Earlier this month it was found in goats on a Minnesota farm where chickens had tested positive.

Dairying is New Zealand’s biggest export industry, valued around $19 billion a year.

Ministry for Primary Industries chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel said New Zealand had never had a case of HPAI. Avian influenzas were known to be transmissible to mammals, she said.

MPI was advising the dairy industry the current risk for HPAI arriving via wild birds was low because New Zealand was isolated from other land masses, she said.

Australia and the Pacific Islands also remained free of the virus.

MPI had systems in place to prevent HPAI entering New Zealand through “our managed pathways” and ensure early detection if the virus arrived, van Andel said.

MPI reminds farmers and members of the public who see sick or dying wild birds to report said incidents to Biosecurity NZ’s Exotic Pest and Disease hotline 0800 80 99 66.

Sick or dead birds should not be handled.

“Farmers who discover any sick domestic birds should notify their veterinarian so they can be assessed for endemic diseases and reported to the ... hotline if the veterinarian thinks it necessary,” said van Andel.

MPI was monitoring the US situation and working closely with the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Health and industry agencies “to ensure we are ready should HPAI be detected here”.

In the US cases, dead wild birds were found on the properties where the presence of HPAI had been confirmed, said AVMA.

US cattle owners were being advised to monitor their animals closely for signs of the disease, the association said.

The first signs noticed in the outbreak were reduced feed intake and reduced milk production. So far there had been no cow deaths, the AVMA said. Most cattle recovered in two to three weeks with supportive care. Affected dairy farms reported about 10 per cent of their milking cows had become ill.

MPI’s van Andel said the ministry was closely following the developments in the US and was working with international colleagues to learn from the experience as the disease continued to evolve.

Andrea Fox joined the Herald as a senior business journalist in 2018 and specialises in writing about the dairy industry, agribusiness, exporting and the logistics sector and supply chains.