Why community volunteers are essential to how New Zealand deals with the arrival of bird flu

Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Island countries are the only countries free of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The deadly avian influenza virus was first detected in the Southern Hemisphere in 2023 and has spread through South America to sub-Antarctic islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The virus is decimating wild bird populations around the world, with millions of dead birds recorded in more than 2,600 separate clusters, according to a report by the World Organization for Animal Health.

The outbreak poses a significant risk to New Zealand’s wildlife, but the country’s conservation volunteers could be a key line of defense.

Conservation in New Zealand is made possible by passionate people who walk the coast and survey shorebirds, watch for bittern calls in wetlands, and trample mountains and rivers to maintain predator traps. It depends on good intentions and enthusiasm. It is important to mobilize these groups for early detection as possible.

Prepare for bird flu

Bird deaths have been reported on every continent except Australia, with the outbreak gradually moving closer to New Zealand. Around the world, the virus has also spread to mammals, causing deaths in cats, dogs, bears, foxes, and skunks.

Persistent infections in mammals are currently occurring in farmed mink in Spain, dairy cows in the United States, and elephant seals in South America. Fortunately, the number of human infections remains very low, but the human mortality rate is high.

In New Zealand, the Ministry of Primary Industries is responsible for managing the introduction of exotic diseases. Last December, the H7N6 variant of avian influenza broke out at a poultry farm, and 160,000 chickens were culled.

The recent outbreak of the H7N3 variant in Australia led to the culling of around 500,000 birds (including poultry, turkeys, farmed emus and pets).

If a highly pathogenic H5N1 variant is discovered in New Zealand poultry, the ministry is likely to adopt an eradication strategy. However, in the case of wild birds, eradication will probably not be attempted. The ministry is working with the poultry industry, but detailed guidelines regarding outbreaks in other livestock and wild bird populations are not yet available.

The introduction of the virus will have far-reaching implications for domestic and wild birds and the people who work with them. The virus is most likely to spread within New Zealand through waterfowl and seabirds, moving rapidly across the country within weeks.

Impact on wildlife

Zoos and other facilities that keep captive birds have already begun making plans to exclude wild birds, primarily focusing on movement restrictions. Core populations of the most important endangered species will be vaccinated, including the persimmon, takahe, kakapo, tuturuatu and kakaliki karaka.

But if this virus behaves like it does in other countries, New Zealanders should be prepared to see dead and dying birds on beaches and parks. Common signs include seizures, tremors, paralysis, runny nose, swelling of the head, diarrhea, and sudden death. Animals that die from this disease experience considerable suffering.

Our conservation community faces an unprecedented wildlife tragedy with very limited options for an effective and safe response. Other communities of people who interact with wild birds will also be affected. If the infection spreads, the filming season will probably be canceled for several years.

Those who keep free-range poultry or waterfowl may need to consider moving the birds indoors or culling the flock with little or no veterinary assistance. Veterinarians will need to focus on managing the biosecurity of their hospitals and staff.

Response to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds

In the event of a bird outbreak in New Zealand, the Department will transfer responsibility for responding on conservation land to the Department of Conservation and local authorities on other public lands. Private landowners are responsible for dealing with dead and dying birds on their land.

The affected area will be closed to the public on the reserve, but there are no plans to cull, euthanize or remove the dead birds. Removing sick or dead birds will not help control the spread of disease in the area, but the virus will remain in the carcasses for a long time. Scavengers and predators can transfer infectious diseases to new areas.

Our challenge is to ensure that disease control strategies protect the health of workers and volunteers, that affected animals are killed humanely, and that their remains are disposed of safely. Tangata whenua tikanga (protocols) must also be considered in all wildlife interventions.

Keeping our Community Safe and Supportive

New Zealand’s current strategy focuses on preventing human harm by insisting on intervention by the relevant authorities. Our experience suggests that this approach is unrealistic. This is because, even with sufficient motivation, it is unlikely that a community would stand by as an animal dies, especially if authorities insist on minimal or no intervention.

Wildlife rehabilitators have been asked to stop their operations in the event of an infestation, but people will continue to bring animals in need of care. In fact, the number of animals brought in by these volunteers could increase significantly.

The effects of exposure to animal trauma on mental health are now well understood. When an outbreak occurs, it can affect the health of those involved in the response. Compassion fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder are common and can be especially severe if you don’t have the right training and support to deal with them.

It is imperative that authorities develop strategies to keep people safe while addressing wildlife welfare concerns. Community groups will inevitably be responding to this pandemic, but they will need clear guidelines and personal protective equipment to do so safely.

We argue that New Zealand should urgently develop a more detailed national strategy focused on empowering local responses to prevent animal suffering wherever safe. Masu.

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