WELLINGTON – New Zealand has confirmed its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5 bird flu strain, after a brown skua tested positive on Petone Beach in the capital Wellington, a senior official said on Wednesday.

"This is a coastal detection in an individual ocean-going seabird and there is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand. There has been no detection in poultry," Biosecurity and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard said in a statement.

The virus, identified as H5N1 avian influenza clade 2.3.4.4b, is circulating globally and has recently been found in single birds in coastal Australia.

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H5 bird flu is a low health risk to the public as it rarely affects humans unless there is "direct, close, and prolonged contact with large numbers of sick birds," the statement said, adding that eggs and poultry remain safe to eat.

Authorities are urging the public not to touch or handle sick or dead birds and to report clusters of three or more affected birds.

The Department of Conservation has begun vaccinating 300 core breeding birds from five of New Zealand's most endangered species, including kakapo and takahe, as part of preparedness efforts.