AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT MARCH 9

UNCLAS TOKYO 001265 SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/IHA POWELL, SINGER AND FENDRICK DEPT FOR EAP/J USDA PASS TO APHIS HHS PASS TO CDC HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI WHO JA SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT MARCH 9 REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 ¶B. TOKYO 1112 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. No human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza (AI) were reported in Japan during the past week. -- LPAI Stricken Ibaraki Prefecture to Further Strengthen its Outbreak Prevention Measures -- ¶2. On March 7, Ibaraki Prefecture authorities announced that they would strengthen measures to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza and increase the number of inspections at poultry farms starting from JFY2006. During the last fiscal year, the prefecture only targeted poultry farms with more than 1,000 birds for inspections. Officials conducted antibody and viral tests on ten birds from each of those farms. Now, they will examine ten birds from each poultry house located at the farms, significantly increasing the number of tests conducted at each facility. The government also will increase the number of poultry farms at which monthly monitoring for viruses are conducted from 12 to 40. -- Preventing Port Calls to Prevent AI -- ¶3. On March 6, in preparation for a possible outbreak of pandemic influenza, the Niigata Prefectural Government submitted a bill to the Prefectural Assembly to amend its port administration regulations. The amendment will enable the Niigata government to refuse port calls for vessels coming from affected areas. The purpose of the amendment is to prevent ships from bringing serious infectious diseases such as the plague, SARS and AI to the area. Niigata will obtain outbreak information through the WHO, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) to help make their decision. In the case a refusal is warranted, the prefecture will notify the vessel in question when it submits an application to make a port call. The new regulation would take effect immediately after the Assembly closes for the current session that ends on March 23, should it be approved. EST FSN confirmed with the prefectural government that it is seeking the amendment. -AI Concerns Increasing Demand for Locally Bred Chickens- ¶4. Japan's largest chicken incubator Goto Furan-Jo in Gifu Prefecture is planning to increase production capacity because consumer demand for locally produced chickens is rising due to avian influenza concerns. Most of the chickens sold currently in the Japanese domestic market -- either for meat or laying eggs -- come primarily from overseas. In addition, most of the chickens raised in Japan also originate from outside the country. However, because there is the potential threat of import restrictions on foreign-bred chickens, the company decided that it would increase its capacity to produce the chickens domestically. Only seven percent of the layer chickens in Japan originate in the country. Goto Furan-Jo produces around six percent of this total. The company currently has two production farms in Gifu and Fukuoka Prefectures with about 200 employees total. It plans to build two new window-less houses and will upgrade its facilities over the next year. SCHIEFFER