Avian influenza

This information provides advice on how to keep yourself safe from avian influenza if:

an outbreak of the virus occurs in Aotearoa
you are travelling to a country that is known to have animals or people infected with avian influenza.

Avian influenza is very rare in people

There has never been a human case of avian influenza reported in Aotearoa. Currently, the risk of infection for people in Aotearoa is low. In countries where avian influenza is present, human infection has generally only been found in people who have had a lot of contact with infected birds or other infected animals.

If you have returned from a country affected by avian influenza and feel unwell, it is important to seek medical advice.

How avian influenza spreads

Avian influenza can be spread from animals to people through close unprotected contact (such as not using personal protective equipment like gloves, a face mask and eye protection) with an infected bird or other animal, or their droppings, saliva, or contaminated materials. This can include: 

touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching infected live or dead birds or other animals
touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching droppings (poo) or other animal materials (urine, blood, and other body fluids) of infected birds or other animals.

People with avian influenza do not easily spread the virus to other people. On the rare occasion this has happened, it was because a person infected with avian influenza had a lot of close regular contact with another person, who then became sick too.

Symptoms of avian influenza

Symptoms of avian influenza include:

a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery
aching muscles
headache
a cough or shortness of breath
runny poos (diarrhoea)
stomach pain
chest pain
bleeding from the nose or gums
eye or eyelid redness and swelling (conjunctivitis).

Diagnosing avian influenza

The risk of getting avian influenza in Aotearoa or overseas is very low. However, your healthcare provider may consider taking a throat, nose, eye swab (or a combination of swabs) to test for infection if you have recently:

been exposed to animals or people with avian influenza infection and have symptoms of avian influenza
had very close unprotected exposure to animals or people to some very infectious strains of avian influenza (even if you do not have symptoms).

Your healthcare provider might do other tests to make sure it is not a different condition.

Treating avian influenza

People with avian influenza infection are likely to need hospital care. Antiviral treatment (medicine) may be offered.

Protecting yourself from avian influenza

Who is at risk

If avian influenza is found in animals in Aotearoa, anyone who has direct exposure or close contact with infected birds or other animals, dead or alive, may be at risk. People that may have a higher chance of coming into contact with infected birds or animals include:

bird owners (including poultry, pigeons, birds of prey, waterfowl, and pet birds)
people who work at or visit zoos, animal sanctuaries and recovery centres, breeding centres, and agricultural shows
hunters, campers, trampers and recreational fishers
hobby or lifestyle farmers and lifestyle block owners
people collecting or using bones, feathers or other parts of animals for ngā toi Māori (Māori arts and crafts) or any customary use.

Avian influenza health and safety guidance for workplaces — Health New Zealandexternal link

People who are more likely to get very sick if they were to get avian influenza include:

young tamariki (children)
older people
those who are pregnant or have given birth in the 6 weeks before they were infected
those who have a weakened immune system.

In Aotearoa New Zealand

If you are going tramping, camping, hunting, walking dogs near bird colonies, or going anywhere where you may be exposed to wild birds or marine mammals (for example, seals, sea lions) there are things you should do.

If you see 3 or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66
If possible, do not touch or handle wild birds or marine mammals, or their droppings, particularly if they are sick or dead. Do not allow tamariki, dogs or other animals to go near or handle sick or dead birds, or marine mammals. This is because they can carry diseases that cause illness in people.
Maintain good hand hygiene. Wash your hands either with soap and running water, or use alcohol hand rubs often and thoroughly — especially before and after contact with animals and their environment.
Do not collect eggs, harvest birds, or assist with culling in areas where avian influenza outbreaks are occurring.
Do not collect or use bones and feathers for ngā toi Māori or any customary use in areas where avian influenza outbreaks are occurring.

If you need to touch a sick wild bird

If you need to touch a sick wild bird, it is recommended that you follow these steps to reduce your risk of catching an illness.

Keep the bird outside — do not bring it into your house or an enclosed space.
Wear clothing that will stop you being injured by scratches or bites (trousers and long sleeves).
Wear personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves (or other gloves, ideally covered by a plastic bag if disposable gloves are not available) and eye protection, for example goggles and glasses). If possible, wear a well-fitted medical face mask that covers your nose and mouth.
If you decide to take the bird to a vet, animal welfare organisation or someone else who you think can help, phone ahead and follow their instructions about bringing the bird to them.
If you need to take the bird in a vehicle, put it as far away from you as possible in a secure ventilated box if you have one (for example, a cardboard box with breathing holes poked in the top and sides), and keep the windows open while you travel.

When you no longer need to have contact with the bird you should:

wash your clothing and eye protection after use with detergent, and then dry your clothes on a high heat
dispose of gloves and any other disposable items that may have been contaminated by the bird by putting them in a plastic bag (and not letting the items touch the outside of the bag), tying or sealing the bag and then placing it in your outdoor rubbish bin
clean any surfaces that have or may have been contaminated by the bird using disinfectant cleaning products or disinfectant wipes.

Disposal of wild dead birds

This guidance is as advised by Ministry for Primary Industries, and adapted from United Kingdon Health Security Agency avian influenza (public sector information licensed under the Open Government License v3.0).

If you choose to dispose of a dead wild bird in your household rubbish, you should:

pick it up wearing disposable gloves or a plastic bag over your hand
put the bird in another plastic bag, making sure the bird does not touch the outside of the bag, and then tie it
put the bag with the bird in it in a second (preferably leak proof) plastic bag, along with the gloves or plastic bag you used to pick the bird up with (taking care not to touch the outside of these items with your bare hands), and then tie the bag
put the tied bag in your outdoor rubbish bin
wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

If you choose to bury a wild dead bird, you should:

not bury it near any natural sources of water (for example, stream, river, lake or ocean) or where it could contaminate local water supplies
wear disposable gloves or use a plastic bag if you need to pick up the bird
dig a hole at least 60cm deep to stop animals digging it up, then cover the bird with all removed earth
not bury it in a plastic bag
if you used gloves or a plastic bag to pick up the dead bird, put the used items inside another plastic bag (taking care not to touch the outside of these items with your bare hands), tie the bag and dispose of it in your outdoor rubbish bin
wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Food safety

Avian influenza is sensitive to heat treatment, meaning that cooked food and pasteurised milk is safe to consume. You cannot catch avian influenza through eating fully cooked poultry or eggs, or drinking pasteurised milk, even in areas with an outbreak.

Avian influenza, food safety, and human health — Ministry for Primary Industriesexternal link

Before you travel overseas

If you are travelling overseas, check the health advice for each country you are visiting on the Safe Travel website, and check you are up to date with your immunisations.

Travel advisories by destination — Safe Travelexternal link

If you are travelling to areas affected by avian influenza, you should do these things.

Avoid farms and live animal markets, entering areas where animals may be slaughtered, or surfaces that appear contaminated with animal poos (faeces) or other materials.
Avoid close contact with wild or domesticated birds.

You should also follow good food safety and food hygiene practices including:

washing your hands if you handle birds and uncooked poultry products such as meat or eggs
make sure that meat, poultry or poultry products are cooked thoroughly before eating
not drinking raw (unpasteurised) milk.

If you feel unwell after travelling overseas, tell your healthcare provider about your travel history, including any exposure to birds or other sick animals.

Resources

To report concerns about potential emergency animal diseases

Call the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66

To contact your local public health service

Contact details for regional and local public health services delivered by the National Public Health Service of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora are on the Health New Zealand website.

Public health contacts — Health New Zealandexternal link

Resources for specific occupational and recreational groups

The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Conservation (DOC) have information on preventing the spread of avian influenza in specific settings: