Could migratory birds “import”avian influenza virus to New Zealand?
Migratory waterfowl (such as ducks and geese) are carriers of the avian influenza virus. It generally does not make them sick, but they excrete the virus. The virus they leave in fields or water can then infect domestic birds. Fortunately New Zealand is not on the regular migratory pathways of any waterfowl. The small number which do reach New Zealand mostly originate from southern Australia. Other migratory birds such as shorebirds including the bar-tailed godwit, lesser knot, ruddy turnstone, Pacific golden plover etc, visit estuaries along the Asian coastline, Philippines and Australia on their annual migrations south from arctic Russia . They are not “waterfowl” and are not regarded as a high risk for introducing avian viruses into New Zealand. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is currently undertaking surveillance in wild birds to assess the influenza status of waterfowl and shore birds. It is not known why some strains of influenza become virulent in some species und
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- Could migratory birds "import"avian influenza virus to New Zealand?
