By RNZ The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is set to conduct research into a deadly virus that could be an increasing threat to New Zealand because of climate change. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a disease spread from animals to humans through mosquitoes. While symptomatic cases of the virus are rare, those that get symptoms can suffer serious damage to the nervous system or death.

Concerns at the ministry were first raised in February 2022, when a previously rare genotype of the virus was confirmed as the cause of an outbreak of reproductive problems in pig herds in New South Wales, Australia. The disease was then found in all Australian mainland states and the Northern Territory. Since January 1, 2021, seven people in Australia have died because of it.

MPI has told RNZ that the risk of the JEV establishing in New Zealand was low, but could increase in the next 15-20 years, due to climate change . The ministry is now conducting research to identify the highest risk locations in New Zealand for the establishment of the disease, so it can target ongoing surveillance. Epidemiologist Professor Roger Morris wrote a paper on the risk of the virus to New Zealand in 2023 and told RNZ he had been encouraging MPI to do this work.

Morris said if the virus got into New Zealand, it would be good to detect it quickly. “The main concern with this is the potential for human cases to occur in New Zealand as they did very suddenly in Australia.” He said the disease would mos.