NZ prepared for bird flu - govt
NZPA | Tuesday, 6 February 2007
An outbreak of bird flu in Britain last week does not pose a threat to New Zealand, but the arrival of the virus here is inevitable, the Health Ministry said yesterday.
More than 50,000 turkeys on a farm in Suffolk were gassed during the weekend, and 100,000 more will be slaughtered, after birds tested positive for the H5N1 virus on Tuesday.
National Coordinator of Pandemic Planning Steve Brazier said although the virus in Britain only affected birds, it could mutate at any time to affect humans.
Pandemic planning had been under way for the past 18 months, and New Zealand would be ready "when the big one hit", he said.
Mr Brazier said the Government had stockpiles of masks, antibiotics and Tamiflu, a drug thought to lessen some of the effects of the disease.
In the event of a pandemic, the Health Ministry would direct the national response from a bunker underneath the Beehive.
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