Time for NZ to prepare, epidemiologist says as bird flu reaches Australia

New Zealand needs to update its national pandemic plan, as a deadly bird flu virus hits Australia, a public health expert warns.

The alert comes after a migratory seabird in Western Australia was confirmed to have the same deadly H5N1 strain that has killed millions of chickens, ducks, wild birds, poultry and some mammals globally, since late 2021.

On Saturday, Minister for Biosecurity Andrew Hoggard said New Zealand was well prepared, with work done by Health NZ and other government agencies, as well as industry and local councils. However he warned New Zealanders needed to take steps to be ready, including keeping their distance from sick or dead wildlife, keeping outdoor gear clean, and reporting any signs of illness in birds.

"We need to reverse that rejection as soon as possible, it's not supporting the World Health organisation, and it's not supporting the global health efforts to control and prevent these pandemic threats."

New Zealand must invest more in pandemic preparedness, he said.

Hoggard said H5N1 bird flu was a low risk for human health and not a food safety risk.

Baker agreed the disease did not currently show a strong ability to spread to humans or between them, and so was not an immediate pandemic threat - but he emphasised that because diseases can change over time and most human pandemics start from animals, now is the time to prepare.

"It's not showing any significant ability to transmit between people, and that is really the most important single feature required for any pandemic threat."

People should not panic about a potential new pandemic threat, Hoggard said, since bird flu had been around for about 30 years.

"The main threat is going to be to our native species, and to our poultry flocks," Hoggard said.

"This strain of bird flu has been all round the world, and there's been only a very small number of cases in humans."