
© Anna-Marie BakosThe disease is mostly affecting waterfowl including ducks and gulls.
Hundreds of birds in a South Auckland wetland have been killed in a botulism outbreak.
The Department of Conservation and Fish and Game are working with the Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre to contain the outbreak.
The wetland is home to tens of thousands of rare native and non-native waterfowl and shore birds and it's estimated around 200 have died so far.
Fish and Game said it's an unfortunate thing to happen, especially in a significant wetland like Miranda.
"There is a botulism outbreak, which is a very serious bird disease. It is caused and spread by poor oxygen levels in the water - the birds ingest it and it's all over." said Don Rood, Fish and Game spokesman.
"It's not a nice way to go, it paralyses them then they die."
Rood said there's little that can be done, aside from burying the bodies, so the bacteria can't spread and re-enter the environment to infect healthy birds.
"What we're worried about is the deterioration of the general environment, when things like this happen there is a tendancy to down play it but anything that is killing birds in such a way is a concern." Rood said.
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