Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans
28 Apr 2008 05:59:09 GMT
Source: Reuters
TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Japan has detected a strain of bird flu in four wild swans after stepping up checks following major outbreaks of the disease in neighbouring South Korea, local and government officials said on Monday. The birds, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in Akita prefecture in the north on April 21, the prefectural government said in a news release. Inspectors detected the H5 strain of bird flu in the swans, the prefectural government said, but they were still checking whether it was the highly virulent H5N1 strain. Authorities have patrolled the area but have not found any incidents of large numbers of deaths or unnatural deaths in wild fowl.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 km radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms. "We've asked to step up surveillance measures at poultry farms in the prefectures of Aomori, Akita and Iwate," a farm ministry official said, referring to the prefectures in the area. "Japan has asked poultry farms to strengthen surveillance after the case in South Korea in early April," he said. The official said Japan's last case of bird flu was found in a wild bird in March 2007 in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu. Prior to that, Japan reported cases of bird flu at four poultry farms in January 2007. (Reporting by Chikafumi Hodo and Miho Yoshikawa; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Japan Investigates Type Of Bird Flu In Wild Swans: Ministry
TOKYO (AFP)--Japan has detected bird flu in dead wild swans and is investigating whether the strain is the deadly H5N1 type, the farm ministry said Monday.
Japan last detected the virulent H5N1 strain in birds in March last year.
Three dead swans and another that was debilitated were found in Lake Towada in northern Akita prefecture, a ministry official said.
"An H5 strain of bird flu was detected from the birds and the authorities are now investigating if it is the poisonous H5N1 type," he said.
Japan reported four H5N1 outbreaks in January and February last year, leading authorities to kill tens of thousands of chickens as a precaution.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 230 people worldwide since late 2003 through contact with infected birds, with about half of the cases in Indonesia.
Health experts fear the strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, leading to a pandemic.
Monday 28th April, 04:59 PM JST
AKITA —
The avian influenza virus has been detected in three dead swans and one weakening one along Lake Towada in Kosaka, Akita Prefecture, the Akita prefectural government said Monday. The Akita government said it has asked the state to determine whether the virus belongs to the deadly H5N1 strain.
Local officials said they have yet to find a link between the virus and the deaths of the swans. The officials said they see a low possibility of the virus damaging human health as there have been no reports of many birds or animals dying in the northeastern Japan prefecture.
Tokyo: A strain of bird flu has been discovered in four wild swans in Japan, after checks were conducted following major outbreaks of the disease in South Korea, local and government officials said on Monday.
The birds were found near Lake Towada in the northern Akita region on April 21, a government news release said.
Three of the birds have since died.
The H5 strain of bird flu was detected in the swans, but authorities were still looking for the highly were still checking whether it was the dangerous H5N1 strain.
No other incidents have been found.
Surveillance measures have been reinforced since reports came in from South Korea in early April.
Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans
2 hours, 8 minutes ago
Japan has detected a strain of bird flu in four wild swans after stepping up checks following major outbreaks of the disease in neighboring South Korea, local and government officials said on Monday.
The birds, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in Akita prefecture in the north on April 21, the prefectural government said in a news release.
Inspectors detected the H5 strain of bird flu in the swans, the prefectural government said, but they were still checking whether it was the highly virulent H5N1 strain.
Authorities have patrolled the area but have not found any incidents of large numbers of deaths or unnatural deaths in wild fowl.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 km radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
"We've asked to step up surveillance measures at poultry farms in the prefectures of Aomori, Akita and Iwate," a farm ministry official said, referring to the prefectures in the area.
"Japan has asked poultry farms to strengthen surveillance after the case in South Korea in early April," he said.
The official said Japan's last case of bird flu was found in a wild bird in March 2007 in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu.
Prior to that, Japan reported cases of bird flu at four poultry farms in January 2007.
(Reporting by Chikafumi Hodo and Miho Yoshikawa; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
KOSAKA, Akita -- The avian flu virus was found in three dead swans that were recently found here near Lake Towada, it has been learned.
Officials have not yet determined whether the virus is the highly virulent H5N1 strain, which was found in a hawk eagle in Kumamoto Prefecture in 2007 and in crows in Kyoto and Osaka prefectures in 2004.
Prefectural officials said that two adult swans and one young swan, all dead, were found floating near the southern tip of the lake on April 21. Another weakened bird was also found nearby.
Simple tests indicated that the swans had been infected with the bird flu virus. Further testing on three of the birds by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization's National Institute of Animal Health detected a subtype of the H5 virus.
While there are no chicken farms within a 10-kilometer radius, prefectural authorities will ask farms within the prefecture to step up measures to prevent wild birds from entering the facilities.
Tue 29 Apr 2008, 7:30 GMT
TOKYO, April 29 (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday confirmed four swans found last week were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
It was the first case of bird flu in Japan since March 2007 when the highly virulent H5N1 strain was found in a wild bird in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern Kyushu island.
The swans, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in northern Akita prefecture on April 21, the prefectural government said.
Inspectors had initially detected the H5 subtype of bird flu in the dead swans and conducted further tests, the local government said on Monday.
Japan has been stepping up checks of birds after a series of bird flu outbreaks in South Korea over the past month.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 kilometre (6 mile) radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
Local authorities plan to conduct on-site inspections on Wednesday and Thursday at 15 farms within a radius of 30 km (19 miles) of the site where the swans were found, the official said.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea reported a suspected bird flu outbreak at a chicken farm in Ulsan City which, if confirmed, would be the first in the southeast, as the country grapples with its worst outbreak of avian influenza.
South Korea previously confirmed 20 cases of the H5N1 strain in poultry in less than a month, despite having killed more than 5 million chickens and ducks, as the virus spreads at its fastest rate since the country reported its first case in 2003.
No human deaths from the disease have been reported in South Korea or Japan. (Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by David Fogarty)
TOKYO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese national institute of animal health confirmed Tuesday that the H5 strain of the bird flu virus detected in several dead and dying swans in northeastern Akita Prefecture last week belongs to the highly virulent H5N1 strain.
Upon receiving the result, the prefecture decided to carry out inspections in the following two days on about 42,000 birds at 15 farms within a radius of 30 kilometers around the location where the deadly virus was first detected, local government officials said.
The prefectural government also called on farmers to check their animals and birds for abnormal symptoms. No widespread deaths of birds or animals have been reported in the region. The prefecture said Monday it detected the H5 strain of the bird flu virus in several dead and dying last week. Three dead swans and one dying swan were found on Monday last week near Lake Towada, with the virus being detected in three of them. Another dead swan and two dying swans were later found on the shores of the lake from Wednesday to Saturday.
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Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans
Japan confirms H5N1 bird flu strain in swans
29 Apr 2008 08:30:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
TOKYO, April 29 (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday confirmed four swans found last week were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
It was the first case of bird flu in Japan since March 2007 when the highly virulent H5N1 strain was found in a wild bird in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern Kyushu island.
The swans, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in northern Akita prefecture on April 21, the prefectural government said.
Inspectors had initially detected the H5 subtype of bird flu in the dead swans and conducted further tests, the local government said on Monday.
Japan has been stepping up checks of birds after a series of bird flu outbreaks in South Korea over the past month.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 kilometre (6 mile) radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
Local authorities plan to conduct on-site inspections on Wednesday and Thursday at 15 farms within a radius of 30 km (19 miles) of the site where the swans were found, the official said.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea reported a suspected bird flu outbreak at a chicken farm in Ulsan City which, if confirmed, would be the first in the southeast, as the country grapples with its worst outbreak of avian influenza.
South Korea previously confirmed 20 cases of the H5N1 strain in poultry in less than a month, despite having killed more than 5 million chickens and ducks, as the virus spreads at its fastest rate since the country reported its first case in 2003.
No human deaths from the disease have been reported in South Korea or Japan.
People come and go, but the creative force of great historical events, as well as important ideas and actions remain. (Aleksandr Romanovic Lurija, 1976)
-- A TIME'S MEMORY (Blog) ATTRAVERSO QUESTI GIORNI (Blog) tracciatore_traccia@libero.it
I haven't seen what species of swan these are but here is one migration route for Tundra Swans. The group that breeds in northeastern Russia winters in Japan, Korea and China. Because of their large size they probably act as a sentinel species and also are probably relatively easy to test... (This migration pattern also apparently occasionally veers into Alaska and the Pacific Northwest... http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/a.../cyco/all.html)
I haven't seen what species of swan these are but here is one migration route for Tundra Swans. The group that breeds in northeastern Russia winters in Japan, Korea and China. Because of their large size they probably act as a sentinel species and also are probably relatively easy to test... (This migration pattern also apparently occasionally veers into Alaska and the Pacific Northwest... http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/a...cyco/all.html)
Speaking of migration, here is the path of tagged bar headed geese that migrate between Mongolia and South Korea (where H5N1 is detected) each year
TOKYO, April 29 (KUNA) -- Japanese health authorities confirmed Tuesday that four wild swans found near Lake Towada in the northern prefecture of Akita were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza. It was Japan's first outbreak of bird flu since March last year when the virus was found in a hawk eagle in southwestern Japan.
According to the National Institute of Animal Health, inspectors initially detected the H5 subtype of bird flu in three of the four swans found along the lake on April 21. Three were dead and one was dying. The further study confirmed the virus was the H5N1 strain.
The Akita prefectural government plans to conduct on-site inspections on Wednesday and Thursday at 15 farms within a radius of 30 kilometers of the site where the dead swans were found.
South Korea announced earlier this month the outbreak of a virulent bird flu strain, but it is still unclear whether the virus found in Akita has come from South Korea. Bird flu, or Avian influenza, is a contagious disease of animal origin caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. At least 240 people worldwide have died from bird flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization, but no human deaths have been reported in South Korea and Japan.(end) mk.bz.
KUNA 291703 Apr 08NNNN
Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced) Date Of Last Occurrence 2007
Number Of Reported Outbreaks
Submitted= 1, Draft= 0 Name of Sender of the report Dr Toshiro Kawashima
Address
International Animal Health Affairs Office
Animal Health Division
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-8950
Position
Director
Telephone
(81-3) 3502 0767
Fax
(81-3) 3502 3385
Email
animal_health@nm.maff.go.jp
Entered by
Mme Margarita Alonso
Outbreak (this report - submitted)
AKITA Unit Type Location Latitude Longitude Start End
AKITA Not applicable Kosaka Town 40,1939 140,4549 21/04/2008
Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered
Wild species Animals ... 4 4 0 0
Affected Population
Swans
Outbreak summary: Total outbreaks = 1 (Submitted)
Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered
Wild species 4 4 0 0
Epidemiology
Epidemiological comments
The swans, of which three had died and one was emaciated, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture in the north of the country on 21 April. Until 28 April, the authorities have been monitoring the area but they have not found any incident with a large number of deaths in
Printed on: Tue Apr 29 13:27:40 Paris, Madrid (heure d'été) 2008 Page 1/3
wild birds. There are no chicken farms within the 10-km-radius area where the swans were found and no unusual incidents were observed in other farms. Following the occurrence of this event, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan has asked the prefecture authorities of
Akita, Aomori and Iwate, which share the boundary of the shores of Lake Towada, to strengthen the monitoring of the farms in order to prevent the spread of the disease thorough early detection and to report the measures applied regarding abnormal chickens and the prevention of the entry of
wild birds into poultry houses. The prefecture authorities will visit the 15 chicken farms for emergency on-site inspections within a 30-km-radius area where the swans were found immediately. They will also monitor the wild birds around the area and cooperate with the Ministry of Environment
on the surveillance measures of wild birds.
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
• Unknown or inconclusive
Control Measures
No Control Measures Animals treated
No
Vaccination Prohibited
Yes
Country / Zone
Country or zone
the whole country
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory Type Name of Laboratory Species Test Type Date Results Provided Result
Local laboratory Akita Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center (prefectural organization) Wild species pathogen isolation by egg inoculation 25/04/2008 Positive
National laboratory National Institute of Animal Health Wild species intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) test 29/04/2008 Positive
National laboratory National Institute of Animal Health Wild species neuraminidase inhibition assay 29/04/2008 Positive
Future Reporting
What further reports will be submitted in relation to this event?
There are 1outbreaks that are still recorded as unresolved. It is not possible to declare this event resolved until these individual outbreaks are resolved.
Immediate notification report. Report reference: , Ref OIE: 7003, Report Date: 29/04/2008 , Country: Japan
Printed on: Tue Apr 29 13:28:18 Paris, Madrid (heure d'été) 2008 Page 2/3
A Japanese national institute of animal health confirmed Tuesday that the H5 strain of the bird flu virus detected in several dead and dying swans in northeastern Akita Prefecture last week belongs to the highly virulent H5N1 strain.
Three dead swans and one dying swan were found on Monday last week near Lake Towada, with the virus being detected in three of them. Another dead swan and two dying swans were later found on the shores of the lake from Wednesday to Saturday.
The above comments confirm H5N1 in dead or dying swans in Japan. The confirmation was not a surprise (see satellite map). In three of the last five seasons South Korea has reported H5N1 on farms and each season H5N1 was subsequently found in Japan. In 2003/2004 the sequences were closely related. Japan hasn’t released sequences from last season, but the sequences will almost certainly be closely related to the sequences from South Korea, which were the Uvs Lake strain of H5N1. It is likely that H5N1 this season will also be closely related to the Uvs Lake strain.
However, this season the H5N1 was detected as wild birds migrate out of South Korea and Japan, instead of the fall / winter when birds are arriving. The detection delay this season raises surveillance issues in both countries. In Japan the H5N1 was detected in the absence of a reported outbreak in domestic poultry. The increased surveillance was in response to the record breaking outbreaks in South Korea. Thus, H5N1 can be circulating undetected when surveillance is at the “normal” level, but is easily detected when surveillance is “enhanced”.
This “don’t ask don’t tell” approach to H5N1 surveillance is widespread. England found H5N1 in wild birds (swans and a Canada goose) when surveillance was “enhanced”, and Switzerland found H5N1 in a asymptomatic pochard in an area of enhanced surveillance.
These examples of H5N1 in wild bird populations in regions where there are no reported outbreaks in domestic poultry provide more evidence for widespread H5N1 in wild bird populations that are only detected under “enhanced surveillance”, which is usually not present, even in countries such as England and Japan. Other countries rely on conservation groups which use collection and testing procedures that are known to produce an over abundance of false negatives.
The latest data in Japan demonstrate that surveillance that is not enhanced is well into the abysmal category, where it has been for many years.
.
__________________
"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:22pm IST
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday confirmed four swans found last week were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
It was the first case of bird flu in Japan since March 2007 when the highly virulent H5N1 strain was found in a wild bird in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern Kyushu island.
The swans, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in northern Akita prefecture on April 21, the prefectural government said.
Inspectors had initially detected the H5 subtype of bird flu in the dead swans and conducted further tests, the local government said on Monday.
Japan has been stepping up checks of birds after a series of bird flu outbreaks in South Korea over the past month.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 kilometer (6 mile) radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
Local authorities plan to conduct on-site inspections on Wednesday and Thursday at 15 farms within a radius of 30 km (19 miles) of the site where the swans were found, the official said.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea reported a suspected bird flu outbreak at a chicken farm in Ulsan City which, if confirmed, would be the first in the southeast, as the country grapples with its worst outbreak of avian influenza.
South Korea previously confirmed 20 cases of the H5N1 strain in poultry in less than a month, despite having killed more than 5 million chickens and ducks, as the virus spreads at its fastest rate since the country reported its first case in 2003.
No human deaths from the disease have been reported in South Korea or Japan.
(Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by David Fogarty)
AVIAN INFLUENZA (66): JAPAN, SWAN, DENMARK, LPAI H7, OIE
************************************************** ******
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
In this update:
[1] Japan: swan
[2] Denmark: LPAI H7
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Japan
----------------------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 29 Apr 2008 from Dr Toshiro
Kawashima, director, International Animal Health Affairs Office,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo, Japan
Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 21 Apr 2008
Date of 1st confirmation of event: 25 Apr 2008
Report date: 29 Apr 2008
Date submitted to OIE: 29 Apr 2008
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 2007
Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, serotype H5N1
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (basic), laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country
New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Outbreak 1: Kosaka Town, Akita
Date of start of the outbreak: 21 Apr 2008
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: not applicable
Species: wild species
Susceptible: --
Cases: 4
Deaths: 4
Destroyed: 0
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: swans
Outbreak statistics
Species: wild species
Apparent morbidity rate: **
Apparent mortality rate: **
Apparent case fatality rate: 100 percent
Proportion susceptible animals lost*: **
* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction,
and/or slaughter
** Total contains unknown quantity
Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive
Epidemiological comments: the swans, of which 3 had died and one was
emaciated, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in Akita
Prefecture in the north of the country on 21 Apr 2008. Until 28 Apr
2008, the authorities have been monitoring the area but they have not
found any incident with a large number of deaths in wild birds. There
are no chicken farms within the 10-km (6.2 mi)-radius area where the
swans were found and no unusual incidents were observed in other
farms. Following the occurrence of this event, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan has asked the prefecture
authorities of Akita, Aomori, and Iwate, which share the boundary of
the shores of Lake Towada, to strengthen the monitoring of the farms
in order to prevent the spread of the disease through early detection
and to report the measures applied regarding abnormal chickens, and
the prevention of the entry of wild birds into poultry houses. The
prefecture authorities will visit immediately the 15 chicken farms
for emergency on-site inspections within a 30-km (18.6 mi)-radius
area where the swans were found. They will also monitor the wild
birds around the area and cooperate with the Ministry of Environment
on the surveillance measures of wild birds.
Control measures
Measures applied:
- vaccination prohibited
- no treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied: no other measures
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Akita Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center
(prefectural organization) (local laboratory)
Species: wild species
Test: pathogen isolation by egg inoculation
Test date: 25 Apr 2008
Result: positive
Laboratory name and type: National Institute of Animal Health
(national laboratory)
Species: wild species
Test: intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI)
Test date: 29 Apr 2008
Result: positive
Species: wild species
Test: neuraminidase inhibition assay
Test date: 29 Apr 2008
Result: positive
[Akita Prefecture is a popular tourist destination in Japan, located
in the farthest northern reaches of Honshu, which is the largest
island. Lake Towada is a caldera (crater) lake, and is about 450 km
(280 mi) from Tokyo. This location, is far removed from Korea and in
a remote rural part of Japan.
Given the above, it would be very useful to compare genetic analysis
of the H5N1 isolates from Japan and Korea, although movement from
Korea to Japan doesn't appear to be a major migratory pathway for swans.
Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry), Denmark
-------------------------------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 29 Apr 2008 from Mr Torben
Grubbe, MSc, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Food, Agriculture
and Fisheries Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Soeborg, Denmark
Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 24 Apr 2008
Date of 1st confirmation of event: 28 Apr 2008
Report date: 29 April 2008
Date submitted to OIE: 29 Apr 2008
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 19 Jul 2006
Causal agent: low pathogenic avian influenza virus (serotype H7)
Serotype: pending
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country
New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Outbreak 1 Stenstrup, Svendborg Kommune, South
Date of start of the outbreak: 24 Apr 2008
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: farm
Affected animals
Species: birds
Susceptible: 2050
Cases: --
Deaths: 0
Destroyed: 2050
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: a poultry farm with 300 geese, 250 ducks, and
1500 mallards.
Outbreak statistics
Species: birds
Apparent morbidity rate: **
Apparent mortality rate: 0 percent
Apparent case fatality rate: **
Proportion susceptible animals lost*: 100 percent
* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction,
and/or slaughter
** Total contains unknown quantity
Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive.
Epidemiological comments: geese and ducks were tested in accordance
with the Danish surveillance programme for avian influenza in
poultry. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has set up a
restricted zone around the holding and is implementing the necessary
measures in accordance with the European Union Directive 2005/94/EC.
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: National Veterinary Institute (national laboratory)
Species: birds
Test: virus sequencing
Test date: 28 Apr 2008
Result: positive
Govts act to contain bird flu / All Akita Pref. chicken farms inspected to counter outbreak
The Yomiuri Shimbun
AKITA--Following the confirmation that the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in dead and dying swans near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture, local governments and residents have been working to prevent the infection from spreading.
Three dead ohakucho swans, or whooper swans, and a dying swan were found in an area with a 500-meter radius south of the lake on April 21.
The Akita prefectural government is especially concerned that the deadly bird flu virus outbreak may affect sales of Hinai-jidori chicken, a nationally known delicacy, and other local products.
The Akita prefectural government started inspecting 15 poultry houses belonging to 14 chicken farmers and one egg collector within a 30-kilometer radius of the lake, which includes Odate, Kazuno and Kosakamachi in the prefecture, on Wednesday and Thursday.
Officials are checking whether the poultry houses have taken measures to prevent possible bird flu infection. The moves include setting up guard nets to prevent wild birds from entering the facilities and tanks containing disinfectant to sterilize shoes at farm entrances.
The prefectural government also is providing health consultation services to the public during the Golden Week holidays, while local health care centers are fielding public inquiries related to the discovery of dead birds.
In Aomori Prefecture, where many chicken farmers operate, the prefectural government on Monday started inspecting 39 poultry farmers located within a 30-kilometer radius of the lake.
However, following Tuesday's confirmation that the virus was the deadly H5N1 strain, inspections were expanded to include all 163 chicken farms in the prefecture.
Hotels near the lake are worried about the spread of incorrect information that may harm their business.
An official of the Kosakamachi municipal government's industries division said, "We'll make a flyer to tell people that they don't have to be worried about getting infected with the virus, and distribute it in the town."
According to the Akita prefectural government and others, most of the about 300 swans that spent the winter at the lake have already departed the area, flying back on their northbound migratory route in mid-April.
The prefectural government believes the infected swans passed the winter in an area south of the lake, stopping there while en route to Siberia.
Prof. Koichi Otsuki, who heads Kyoto Sangyo University's Avian Influenza Research Center, said, "It's possible that the birds were infected with the virus through droppings and saliva attached to feed in areas to the south of Lake Towada."
Meanwhile, inspectors from the Environment Ministry's natural conservation office for Lake Towada on Wednesday examined whether the H5N1 virus has spread to wild birds in the area. The inspection has been conducted daily since the infected birds were discovered.
According to the World Health Organization, as of April 17, 381 people in 14 countries have been infected with H5N1 since 2003. Of them, 240 have died.
However, experts believe the Akita Prefecture outbreak poses little immediate threat to humans.
(May. 1, 2008)
Another migration route for Whooper Swan from northern Japan is though Sakhalin Island into Siberia and occasionally into the Aleutian Islands and Alaska (It is also useful to keep in mind that these large birds are indicator or sentinel species and many smaller birds which also likely carry H5N1 and share the diverse migratory pathways are flying 'under the radar'
Ostapenko VA (1991) Migration of Bewicks Swans Cygnus bewickii and Whooper Swans C. cygnus wintering in Japan through Sakhalin Island and adjacent territories, U.S.S.R. In: Sears J, Bacon PJ (eds) Proc IWRB Int Swan Symp 3:209–213
Another migration route for Whooper Swan from northern Japan is though Sakhalin Island into Siberia and occasionally into the Aleutian Islands and Alaska (It is also useful to keep in mind that these large birds are indicator or sentinel species and many smaller birds which also likely carry H5N1 and share the diverse migratory pathways are flying 'under the radar'
Ostapenko VA (1991) Migration of Bewicks Swans Cygnus bewickii and Whooper Swans C. cygnus wintering in Japan through Sakhalin Island and adjacent territories, U.S.S.R. In: Sears J, Bacon PJ (eds) Proc IWRB Int Swan Symp 3:209–213
Yes, this is especially true for mute swans which are large and easily noticed, but they don't migrate over long distances.
The key point however is the fact that H5N1 can easily move from species to species and need not use one bird or one species to move from point A to point B. Nature reserves are major mixing bowls, both of viral genes as well as species carriers. At Qinghai Lake in 2005, initially all infected birds were bar-headed geese, but by the time China filed their OIE report, 5 migrating species were named (and more species were subsequently reported).
Same thing happened in Germany, Initially, the largest outbreak was almost exclusively black necked grebes, but within a few weeks there were multiple species that were H5N1 positive. At Uvs Lake in 2006 H5N1 was isolated from ducks, grebes, whooper swans, and golden eyes,
Caution is urged to avoid bird flu
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, May 2, 2008
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Following the discovery of the deadly bird flu virus in at least three swans at popular tourist site Lake Towada, Misawa Air Base’s public health flight commander is urging Americans to use caution around wild birds but says the risk to the base population is “low to none.”
Maj. Mahendra Kabbur said people should avoid traveling to wild bird sanctuaries, such as Kabushima, also known as “Seagull Island,” and refrain from feeding wild birds at local waters. Besides Towada, those include Magi pond at Shimoda Park and Lake Ogawara at the base beach.
“Although chances of catching bird flu [are] low to none, following precautionary measures should help to minimize any risk associated with contracting bird flu,” Kabbur wrote in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.
One dying and three dead swans were discovered April 21 near Lake Towada. The Japanese government confirmed Tuesday the dead swans were infected with the virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which has killed tens of millions of birds since the first cases were reported in Hong Kong in 1997.
Lake Towada, the largest caldera lake on Japan’s main island of Honshu, is about 35 miles southwest of the air base. It’s one of several winter destinations in the area for migratory swans from Siberia.
At Lake Towada and Shimoda, people can purchase bread crumbs or feed to toss to the swans. Shimoda’s swan festival in March is popular with Americans.
People should avoid contact with sick or dead birds, Kabbur said. He noted that the majority of bird flu cases in humans around the world involve people working directly with birds, such as at chicken farms.
“Also, still today, human to human spread is not well established,” he wrote Wednesday.
At least 240 people have died from the bird flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
Most human cases so far have been linked to contact with H5N1-infected poultry or H5N1-contaminated surfaces, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces, according to CDC.
The dead swans are Japan’s first outbreak of H5N1 since March 2007, when researchers found the virus in an eagle on the southern island of Kyushu.
Re: South Korea:H5N1 Spreading in Fowl, 2 April 2008 +
Whooper Swans have been known to inhabit the outer Aleutian Islands of Attu, Atka, Amchitka, Kanaga, & St. Paul in the late fall, winter, and early spring.
In late May and June, these islands act as magnets for Asian species that make their first North American appearance on the islands.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
A dead swan found in the Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido has tested positive for bird flu virus, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.
On the lookout: Local health officials testing for avian influenza look for bird droppings at Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture on Thursday. KYODO PHOTO
Hokkaido University will test it further to determine if the virus is highly pathogenic. The swan was found April 24.
Earlier Thursday, the ministry began testing wild swans, geese and ducks for bird flu in Hokkaido, Akita and Aomori prefectures. The action follows the discovery of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in three of four swans found dead or dying near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture on April 21.
The ministry plans to collect droppings from 20 to 100 birds at test spots around lakes and rivers for several days to see if they contain avian influenza.
A dead swan found in the Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido has tested positive for bird flu virus, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.
The swan was found April 24
The ministry plans to collect droppings from 20 to 100 birds at test spots around lakes and rivers for several days to see if they contain avian influenza.
The above comments described another dead swan testing positive for bird flu. Since low path avian influenza rarely kills waterfowl, the bird flu will almost certainly be H5N1. The location of the latest reported positive is almost 300 miles northeast of the confirmed H5N1 infected swans in Akita, indicating the infections are widespread (see satellite map). The outbreaks in South Korea are approximately 500 miles southwest of Akita. Earlier reports indicated additional dead swans in Japan were being tested.
These data support spread of H5N1 by migratory birds over a wide area in Japan and South Korea. The outbreak in South Korea has led to the culling of more than 6 million birds and the closure of wet markets. The detection of bird flu in dead swans at two very distinct locations in Japan suggests that more positive birds will be found if surveillance in enhanced, although testing of 20 – 100 bird droppings is unlikely to produce many positives because the H5N1 is almost certainly clade 2.2, and viral levels in fecal samples is low.
These latest finding in Japan and South Korea, as well as Primorie in southeastern Russia, suggest H5N1 is widespread in these three countries, and will affect additional areas as these migratory birds fly north to multiple locations including areas in North America.
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"The next major advancement in the health of American people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself"-- John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
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Japan detects bird flu in wild swans
2008-04-29 16:24:51
Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans
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