New Zealand confirmed this Wednesday (15) its first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in a migratory seabird, according to Biosafety Minister Andrew Hoggard. The confirmation comes just weeks after Australia registered the first cases of the disease on its mainland, ending a condition that made the Australian continent the only large continental mass without records of the virus. According to the New Zealand government, the case was identified in a migratory seabird. Authorities say that, to date, there is no evidence of transmission between wild birds in the country or reports of outbreaks on commercial farms. "There is no evidence of mass mortality in wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand. There have been no detections in domestic birds," Hoggard said in a statement. Avian flu is not transmitted to those who eat chicken meat The discovery reinforces the concern of authorities in Oceania about the arrival of the H5N1 strain through migratory birds. In June, Australia confirmed two cases of the disease in less than a week in the state of Western Australia. The first was identified in a migratory brown murrelet. The second occurred in a northern giant petrel found sick on a beach near the city of Esperance, about 570 kilometers from Perth. Until then, Australia was considered the only continent without records of H5N1 bird flu on its mainland. The virus had only been detected at the end of 2025 on Heard Island, an Australian sub-Antarctic territory located around 4,000 kilometers from the Australian coast. Following the records, Australian authorities reinforced biosafety protocols on farms, expanded testing of coastal birds and intensified surveillance measures to prevent the virus from reaching commercial production systems. Despite the spread of the disease among wild birds in different parts of the world, human infections continue to be considered rare. Still, the global spread of bird flu has led to the culling of millions of birds in recent years, disrupting supply chains and putting pressure on food prices, especially eggs and chicken meat. For now, both New Zealand and Australia say they have not identified transmission of H5N1 to poultry in the most recent cases. *With information from Reuters.