Bird Flu Hidden in Plain Sight | Auckland News

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 18, 2026 · 1m

Bird flu in New Zealand may be spreading wider than reported, with experts warning that not every case of the H5 strain has been caught yet. A second native kāhu was found near Carteron and taken to hospital, following the earlier discovery of a brown skua on Petone Beach — which was euthanized. Virologist Professor Jemma Geoghegan believes these solitary scavengers likely contracted the virus by feeding on infected carcasses, suggesting more cases may be undetected. Pinpointing the virus’s origin is nearly impossible, but the priority now is rapid detection and containment. Geoghegan is…