WELLINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has confirmed a third case of highly pathogenic H5 bird flu in a wild bird in the Wellington region, authorities said on Friday.
Testing confirmed H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b in a northern giant petrel found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach in the Wairarapa region, Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) chief veterinary officer, said in a statement.
The bird was found by a Department of Conservation ranger, who notified MPI's exotic pest and disease hotline. Samples received by MPI's Animal Health Laboratory on Aug. 14 initially showed a low level of influenza virus, requiring several rounds of testing to confirm H5 bird flu, the statement said.
The latest detection brings the number of confirmed H5 bird flu cases in New Zealand to three, all in the Wellington region, with no mass mortality events or detections in poultry, according to the MPI.
"The risk to human health remains low and chicken and eggs are safe to eat," van Andel said, adding that the detection was not unexpected because these seabirds can reach New Zealand's coast, particularly in poor weather, and more cases in wild birds were expected. ■
