4034 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for Biosecurity

4034 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for Biosecurity: What advice, if any, has the Minister received on whether wildlife hospitals and veterinary services are prepared for the potential arrival of Avian Flu?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: I am advised that veterinarians are kept up-to-date on avian influenza through their professional associations and journals, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has provided recent updates about reporting mechanisms for suspected cases. MPI is engaged with New Zealand’s five wildlife hospitals and has contracts with them for the provision of data that contributes to surveillance. There are a number of additional bird rehabilitation centres of varying size and capability, and MPI is looking at how to engage with them more closely. There are few treatment options for birds infected with High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza. To minimise spread of the disease, rigorous biosecurity quarantine measures take precedence over attempts to treat individual infected birds.