Australia and New Zealand to take proactive measures amid the potential return of a critical bird flu H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b Avian Influenza.
According to Reuters, Australia must take security measures from September to November as bird flu risk is highest in these months.
Fiona Fraser, Threatened Species Commissioner at Australia's environment ministry said "It is clearly a threat to our country's ecosystems."
Likewise, New Zealand’s chief veterinary officer, Mary Van Andel also warned that the country won’t be able to dodge the virus.
“Geographic isolation has protected us from HPAI (high pathogenicity avian influenza) in the past, but we can't rely on it forever" she mentioned.
Meanwhile, Australia created a task force and options for vaccinating non-farmed animals and farms have increased safety majors to stop the contact between poultry animals and wild birds.
Similar to this, New Zealand has also tried out a vaccine on five endangered birds, suggesting that it can be extended to more.
Big birds such as Geese is the main source of virus, which broke out in Europe, Asia and Africa and killed multiple birds and mammals in 2020.
