New Zealand Urged To Boost Pandemic Preparedness As Bird Flu Spreads In US Cattle

Public health experts are issuing a call to action for
New Zealand to strengthen its pandemic preparedness efforts
in response to the evolving threat posed by the Influenza
A(H5N1) virus. This strain of what is commonly known as
‘bird flu’ has sparked concerns globally as it continues
to adapt and infect new hosts, including recent cases in
cattle.

While the virus has not yet achieved
human-to-human transmission, its ability to infect a broader
range of animals raises alarms for potential future
mutations. This development underscores the urgent need for
New Zealand to review and enhance its pandemic response
strategies, say the authors of a new Briefing from the
Public Health Communication Centre.

At the forefront
of their recommendations is the immediate update of the
national pandemic plan to incorporate key learnings from
past responses. Effective public health and social measures,
and timely access to testing, vaccines, antivirals, and
infection prevention equipment like respirator grade masks
are critical components of preparedness.

Public Health
Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago,
Wellington, says now is the time for us to be reviewing and
testing our defences.

“We need to make sure our
pandemic preparedness is up to scratch and ready for
emerging threats such as H5N1. Careful reviewing of our
pandemic plan, as well as cross-agency practice exercises
will give us a better chance of preventing and minimising
the impact of pandemics in Aotearoa.”

US-based
co-author Professor Richard Webby is Director of the WHO
Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza
in Animals and Birds, based in Memphis, and at the centre of
efforts to track this emerging outbreak.

“Based on
what we know, the virus currently poses a low but increasing
risk to human health,” he says.

“The infection of
cows increases the exposure of humans to the virus and also
provides an opportunity for the virus to evolve through
replication in a mammal host. The recent case of infection
in a dairy farm worker was the first time we have documented
the virus jumping from a mammal to a human so that is a
warning sign that this virus is continuing to
evolve.”

The authors stress the
importance of adopting ‘One Health’ approaches to
mitigate the risk of influenza emergence and spread across
various populations, including poultry, livestock, wildlife,
and humans. Improving surveillance and early detection
systems is central to identifying and swiftly responding to
potential outbreaks.

New Zealand is well
placed to strengthen its science capabilities and pandemic
plans to manage the full spectrum of pandemic
threats.

“We need to use this opportunity now as we
never know the timing of the next pandemic” says Professor
Baker

“These capabilities are a good investment as
they also help New Zealand prevent and manage the infections
we already have, which is a further benefit” he
says.

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