Environmental officials are preparing a contingency plan as avian influenza inches closer to our shores. The disease has killed millions of animals globally however New Zealand has remained relatively protected from it due to our isolated location. But as the disease enters the southern hemisphere, that's not necessarily the case anymore.
Cases of the highly-infectious H5N1 strain have been confirmed in birds and seals across some sub-Antarctic islands, as well as a case on Antarctica's mainland.
The Ministry for Primary Industries says the risk here is still considered 'low', however it will be monitoring whether any new cases overlap with our birds' migratory patterns.
Kathryn Ryan speaks with MPI's chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel, and also the Department of Conservation's technical ecology adviser Bruce McKinlay, who is involved in a vaccine trial involving a small number of native birds.
Photo: JACQUES LOIC
