A driver could be seen delivering a digger to the property, where 80,000 chickens must now be culled due to the highly pathogenic virus. Video / Ben Tomsett
The number of chickens needing to be culled on an Otago farm has doubled to 80,000.
It is New Zealand’s first confirmed case of high pathogenic avian influenza H7N6, or bird flu.
All poultry exports are on hold, and a 10km buffer zone has been established around the farm.
A family member of two workers at an Otago chicken farm which is at the centre of New Zealand’s first confirmed case of bird flu has today spoken of their shock and fear over the outbreak.
One neighbour to the farm, who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity, said they had two family members who worked at the Mainland Poultry free-range farm about an hour north of Dunedin.
They said their partner had been off work since last week due to the confirmed case of high pathogenic avian influenza H7N6, otherwise known as bird flu.
They said they had “no clue” when their partner would be able to return to work, and were waiting to hear from their boss.
“Even though we’ve been promoting this quite heavily, this is not the one [virus] that’s spread by migratory birds around the world, which hasn’t arrived in New Zealand yet.
“It’s a serious strain and it’s largely confined to the poultry industry.”
He said there is no indication the H7N6 virus has spread beyond the farm.
Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said the animals would be humanely culled with the farmer’s cooperation, beginning on Wednesday.
”This is expected to take two to three days, using existing industry standard practice of CO2 containerised gas, which farms regularly use to euthanise chickens. At present, there will be no major impact on egg supplies as New Zealand has about 3.9-million-layer hens a year.
”Once the sheds have been depopulated, they will be thoroughly cleaned. It will be sometime before those sheds can be safely repopulated. We have Biosecurity New Zealand response staff on-site in Otago, and they are providing advice and guidance, including logistics and planning with depopulation and disposal of the birds.
More restrictions may be put in place if required, though at this stage,there have been no further reports of any avian influenza type symptoms showing in chickens in any other poultry farm, he said.
The risk to human health remains low, and there are no concerns for food safety or wildlife.
The virus has likely developed from interactions with local waterfowl and wild birds.
Anderson is on site at the Otago farm today to observe operations.
”We acknowledge this is an extremely difficult time for the farm’s operator, but we commend their actions,” he said.
”Mainland Poultry took the right steps by notifying us of sick and dying birds. The farm has strong biosecurity standards. Three specialist veterinarians from the Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI] are on site.
”They have been carrying out further investigations and taking samples from birds in other sheds on the farm and conducting tracing work to six other poultry farms in the area that are linked to the affected property.
”We are also tracing all movements to and from the farm over the past week. We will place biosecurity controls on any property if we need to manage any biosecurity risk.”
Anderson said the next steps include continuing to collect samples for testing.
The incubation period for the virus is usually 3-14 days, with a possibility up to 21 days, so testing will continue over the next 2-3 weeks.
”Biosecurity New Zealand has a comprehensive surveillance programme of all poultry properties in the area, where we are testing birds on those properties for any signs of avian influenza.”
A 10km buffer zone had been placed around the farm, along with restrictions to prevent the movement of animals, equipment and feed.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was informed on Sunday about the case. The farmer understood the risk and had worked closely with MPI to control its spread.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the farmer had noticed the birds falling ill last Monday on his farm near Moeraki, halfway between Dunedin and Oamaru.
A local vet treated the birds with antibiotics but, as more began to die, he notified MPI on Friday.
Testing teams that arrived on Saturday confirmed the positive result for the H7N6 strain. The farm was locked down on Sunday, and testing and tracing of movement continues.
Hoggard said the farm was at the centre of an outbreak of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Type 1 in 2019.
