New Zealand confirms first-ever H5N1 bird flu case

New Zealand confirmed its first H5N1 avian influenza case on 15 July 2026, in a brown skua found on Petone Beach, Wellington. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard reported no evidence of wider wildlife mortality or poultry impact. The virus has spread globally since 2021, reaching Antarctica in 2023–24 and Australia in early July 2026. New Zealand was among the last major frontiers still free of the strain.