15 July 2026
New Zealand has confirmed its first-ever case of the H5N1 bird flu strain after an infected migratory seabird was discovered on a beach in Wellington. An infected brown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) found on Petone Beach tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b. The event in Wellington closely mirrors recent wildlife patterns observed across the Tasman Sea. Australia has recently recorded similar isolated cases of H5 bird flu in individual birds along its coastlines.
