Wellington, June 20 (AHN) New Zealand is well prepared for a potential incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) after the virus was detected in a wild seabird in Western Australia, a senior official said on Saturday.

Several government departments have stepped up monitoring and preparedness efforts, Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety Andrew Hoggard said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Since the H5N1 strain of bird flu started spreading around the world, New Zealand's geographical isolation has protected us and given us time to prepare," Hoggard said.

Australia has confirmed the H5N1 2.3.4.4b bird flu strain in a migratory seabird in Western Australia, with a nearby giant petrel also suspected. No poultry cases or mass deaths have been reported.

"We are watching the situation closely and remain in close contact with Australian authorities," Hoggard said, adding New Zealand cannot prevent the virus from arriving via wild birds and that eradication would be unlikely if it establishes in native populations.

The minister urged farmers, backyard poultry owners and outdoor recreationists to strengthen biosecurity and report clusters of sick or dead birds, saying there is no food safety risk and the risk to human health remains low.

It marks the first confirmed case in the Australian mainland of the highly pathogenic strain, which has spread around the world since 2020, causing the deaths of millions of birds and other animals.

A second bird, a giant petrel, was found sick nearby on Thursday and has been quarantined.

The Australian government previously committed 113 million Australian dollars (79.2 million USD) in funding to prepare for a potential outbreak of the H5N1 strain.

The Threatened Species Commissioner, Fiona Fraser, said that authorities would know within days if the strain has established itself in any populations in Australia.

Australia was previously the only continent where the H5N1 bird flu strain had not been found.

The strain can spread quickly among poultry and wild bird populations. Human cases tied to the disease remain uncommon.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected on the remote Australian territories of Heard and McDonald Islands in October last year - located in the southern Indian Ocean.