Over the past six years, the H5N1 variant of avian flu has spread across every continent except Oceania, killing hundreds of millions of birds and tens of thousands of mammals. Last weekend the flu variant finally reached Australasia, with Australia’s agriculture minister Julie Collins confirming that the disease had been found in a migratory bird in Western Australia.

As of June 23, the disease has not yet reached New Zealand and the risk to humans remains low. Human-to-human transmission of the virus is still very rare, with almost all human cases being contracted from infected farm animals.

Filmed and edited by Isaiah Tour.
Written and presented by Robbie Nicol.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.