Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus infection on a free-range egg farm in December 2024. The subtype, H7N6, is distinct from the globally circulating HPAI H5N1 subclade 2.3.4.4b, which, to date, has never been detected in New Zealand. Biosecurity controls have been imposed to contain the outbreak, restricting the movement of birds, poultry products, feed and equipment. This highly pathogenic subtype likely evolved locally from a low-pathogenic H7 subtype found naturally in wild aquatic birds. While humans can be infected with H7 subtypes, and they can cause high mortality, human infection is rare and typically limited to those with exposure to infected birds. Targeted surveillance and monitoring of both poultry and wildlife is necessary to rapidly detect such emergence events in the future.