Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
All poultry exports are on hold until New Zealand is free of the highly pathogenic bird flu detected at an egg farm near Moeraki, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says.
The Ministry for Primary Industries earlier said laying hens foraging outside were thought to have been infected with the H7N6 strain through a low pathogenic virus from wild waterfowl.
There are 40,000 chickens in the shed where the virus was identified, and teams will begin eradicating birds on Tuesday.
Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson said there had been no signs of further infection so far.
"While it is not the H5N1 type circulating among wildlife around the world that has caused concern we are taking the find seriously," he said.
"Low pathogenic viruses are present in wild birds here, especially waterfowl like ducks, geese, and swans and the virus can mutate on interaction with chickens.
Chickens in other sheds at the infected farm - Hillgrove Egg Farm, belonging to Mainland Poultry - were not showing any signs of influenza.
A 10km buffer zone had been placed around the farm, along with restrictions to prevent the movement of animals, equipment, and feed.
The virus was discovered in layer hens at the egg farm.
Hoggard has confirmed the farm at the centre of the highly pathogenic bird flu outbreak also had an outbreak of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Type 1 in 2019.
But he told Checkpoint the fact that the virus had only been detected in one of four barns on the property suggested the farm had good biosecurity procedures in place.
Poultry exports stopped until NZ bird flu free
He said there were about 200,000 chickens on the farm, and while the chickens in each barn were free range, there was no mixing of birds between the sheds.
"It's only one shed on this farm that has been affected - there are four sheds, and there are no sign in the other three sheds."
Hoggard said there were six farms at risk - two were high risk and four others were being investigated.
"Workers work at more than one farm, there are people that do move, and there are farms that are owned by the same company, so they do move people and equipment around.
"I fully believe that we will be able to get on top of this."
Closed gates at the Mainland Poultry egg farm site at Hillgrove, near Moeraki, this afternoon. Photo: ODT / Gregor Richardson
Hoggard said the poultry industry in this country was worth nearly a billion dollars, with $190 million of that going to the export market.
He said New Zealand had dealt with other diseases that had prompted other shutdowns in the past, but the ban would stay in place for at least a few weeks.
"Until we've cleaned up the situation on this farm, and assuming no other issues pop anywhere else, then we will be able to export again
"The incubation period is a maximum of 21 days, so we'll know at that point what the situation is."
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.
There was no further risk and no safety concerns, Luxon said.
The government was concerned about the arrival of H1N1 - likely to be via wild birds from Antarctica - and MPI had been undertaking long-term planning around the issue.