OpinionOpinion byJemma Geoghegan & Nigel FrenchNZ Herald·27 Jul, 2026 09:00 AM4 mins to readJemma Geoghegan is Professor and Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis, University of Otago; Nigel French is Distinguished Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Public Health, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey UniversityFor now, detection rates are low, but ongoing surveillance of H5N1 will be essential to determine whether additional cases emerge. Photo / Getty ImagesThe first cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 in New Zealand mark an important milestone, but not an unexpected one.
Since the virus reached Australia last month, and as it continued its global spread, scientists and government agencies have been preparing for the possibility that it
