bird flu

National, regional and district authorities have been preparing for the arrival of this disease for several years. We know three cases of bird flu have been detected in the Greater Wellington region to date. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has installed information signs in some high-risk areas – they are large and orange, you can’t miss them.

In the meantime, you can do your part. When out and about, keep an eye out for sick or dead birds, or birds acting strangely. If you see more than three sick or dead birds in one place, do not handle or approach them. Instead:

-  take a photo or video if possible

-  take a GPS point or drop a point on a google map 

-  make a note of the species affected, numbers, how many are sick or freshly dead

-  report it to MPI on 0800 80 99 66 or find out more here. 

There is a wealth of information on MPI’s bird flu page.

At this stage, from a safety perspective, we must assume any sick or dead bird might have bird flu. With this in mind, do not handle dead or sick wild or domestic birds without protective clothing, including eye protection and a mask.