WELLINGTON - The New Zealand government is stepping up preparations for the possible arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative approach to tackling high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said on Monday that partnership with industry was crucial to the successful eradication of HPAI at a major commercial egg farm in Otago, South Island. The outbreak involved the less virulent H7N6 strain.

"This was the first detection of HPAI in New Zealand and it tested some of the plans that are being developed for the arrival of HPAI H5N1," Hoggard said.

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The Ministry for Primary Industries has now lifted strict biosecurity controls at Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm, which had been in place since the H7N6 strain was confirmed there in December last year, allowing the farm to begin repopulating.

"Tracing did not detect any HPAI-infected chickens beyond the farm where the disease originated," Hoggard noted. He credited the swift containment and eradication of the disease to a focused response and strong support and expertise from the wider poultry industry.

New Zealand's robust biosecurity system and its relative freedom from pests and diseases continue to be key advantages for the country's farmers, he said.

Hoggard added that the work undertaken to prepare for a potential H5N1 outbreak, a strain responsible for millions of bird deaths overseas, helped New Zealand respond effectively to the less severe H7N6 case.

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"Our geographic isolation has protected us from H5N1 to date, but we can't afford to be complacent," he warned.