Thousands of migratory birds will knock in New Zealand, will they also bring the deadly bird flu with them?

The whole world is affected by the outbreak of bird flu disease and New Zealand should prepare itself before it potentially knocks in the country. Over the years, more and more birds have come down with new subtypes of this deadly virus as they evolve to infect new species. It is now causing a ‘panzootic’ (an epidemic of animal diseases) among aquatic birds. This virus, known as the highly contagious avian influenza virus, has probably already killed thousands of birds worldwide (the exact number is difficult to estimate). In addition, spread to non-avian organisms such as mammals is becoming more common. Only a few cases of bird flu have been reported in humans, but the rate of infection in cats, foxes and sea lions is worrying. During the past 20 years, subtypes of the virus causing the highly contagious bird flu have spread on an intercontinental scale.

Despite this, no case of infection has been registered in New Zealand so far. Australia is also believed to be free of the virus, although a few years ago it was believed that a subtype of the virus had evolved in local chickens. One reason we emphasize ‘yet’ is that each spring, thousands of migratory birds arrive in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Will those birds bring with them these deadlier variants of the influenza virus? Such an unwanted viral arrival can prove to be disastrous for our bio-ecology and industries. How bird flu could be knocking New Zealand too Traditionally it has been believed that New Zealand is at low risk from the highly contagious avian influenza. It is believed that we are far away from other landmasses and are not on the routes that migrants usually take for migration.

It is believed that any migratory seabirds that usually land in New Zealand die from the disease before reaching our shores. But some birds may be affected by the infection without symptoms, even as such subtypes are usually highly contagious. In addition, the recent expansion of susceptible species transmitting the infection, including marine mammals, raises the risk that some species may transmit the virus here. As for geographic spread, research suggests that bird migrations are responsible for spreading the virus from Europe across the Atlantic to the Americas, as well as across Eurasia. Why not New Zealand in such a situation? Are we really that far off? How to prepare for a pandemic Should this highly contagious avian influenza virus strike, New Zealand is not as prepared as it could have been.

The main reason for this is that we do not have that active system of virus surveillance of wildlife. New Zealand monitors livestock including cows, sheep and poultry for a number of diseases. But the effect of this virus on people and non-poultry livestock is likely to be minimal. The first sign may be the death of seabirds or marine mammals. Although New Zealand is perhaps not as iconic as the kiwi or the kakapo, it is home to a large number of seabirds found nowhere else on the planet. Some species, such as the tara iti (or fairy tern), are endangered, with only 50 birds of the species left, and may be extinct or further reduced by virus infection. Given this risk, the US implemented a plan to vaccinate California condors against avian influenza, but only after 21 condors (four percent of the total population) were found dead and confirmed to have H5N1 infection.

What should New Zealand be watching for and how can we be better prepared to detect any intrusions early? Raising awareness: Unexpected deaths in animals are a danger signal. Usually, such incidents are investigated by the Ministry of Primary Industries. But we should give better information to the public about what to do if they see a dead bird or water lion. Detection: Increasing active and targeted surveillance of known pathogens. Non-domestic birds have been surveyed annually for avian influenza since 2004. However, since 2010, the focus has shifted away from migratory birds to sampling resident birds during the summer months. Genomics: Use the genetic sequencing (genomics) capabilities of viruses that we have already established during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in Europe, some strains of avian influenza are circulating that infect mammals. If a virus does get here, viral genomics can be used effectively to give us an idea of ​​what we’re dealing with, and inform our response.

While these measures make intuitive sense, the reality is that disease surveillance affecting humans, domestic animals and wildlife is largely unsystematic and under-resourced. Activities in these areas are limited. The result is that we are currently unprepared to track this deadly virus and respond rapidly when it arrives in New Zealand. We are advocating integration of our surveillance systems for emerging pathogens. The time has now come to provide a more advanced and integrated ‘One Health’ surveillance system, involving the expertise of universities, research institutions and government departments, to re-evaluate our pandemic (and panzootic) preparedness.

Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.

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