Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO2017
2006-04-13 10:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 13

Tags:  TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI WHO JA 
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VZCZCXRO2138
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #2017/01 1031009
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131009Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0952
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 5688
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 5682
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 8322
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 8865
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 6871
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8225
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 002017 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA 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 APRIL 13

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802


B. TOKYO 1843 AND PREVIOUS

C. 05 TOKYO 6267

D. 05 TOKYO 6750

TOKYO 00002017 001.2 OF 003


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 002017

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA 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 APRIL 13

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802


B. TOKYO 1843 AND PREVIOUS

C. 05 TOKYO 6267

D. 05 TOKYO 6750

TOKYO 00002017 001.2 OF 003



1. The following is an update on avian influenza (AI)
developments in Japan for the period April 6 to 13. No
human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza were
reported in Japan during the past week.

-- H5N1 to be designated a "Government-Decreed" Infectious
Disease --


2. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) plans
to designate the H5N1 highly pathogenic strain of avian
influenza as a "government-decreed" infectious disease.
The Infectious Diseases Panel of MHLW's Health Sciences
Council will hold a meeting on April 14, which EST will
attend. Japan's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Action
Plan, which was released in November 2005, stipulates that
in accordance with the Law concerning the Prevention of
Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients of
Infections, the government should designate new pandemic
influenza strains as a "government-decreed infection"
immediately after an outbreak is diagnosed in Japan or
abroad (see ref C for more). However, because it normally
takes several weeks to complete the procedures to make such
a designation, officials are concerned that the
bureaucratic procedure will delay any emergency response.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is currently categorized
as a category D disease, which does not require the
quarantine of a patient. By designating H5N1 as a
government-decreed infectious disease, officials will be
able to require that patients be hospitalized. (For more
details on the infectious diseases law, refer to ref D).

-- Kyoto City/Prefecture Establish AI Expert's Group --


3. The Kyoto City and Prefectural governments established
a joint experts' committee to work on local level responses

to emerging infectious diseases with high mortality rates
such as avian influenza. The group held its first meeting
on April 12, during which it considered a variety of
response activities including the establishment of a
response manual to cover such topics as the method of
distributing prophylactic medicines in preparation for an
outbreak. The twelve members of the committee include
avian influenza experts from the Kyoto Prefectural
University of Medicine and Kyoto Sangyo University as well
as physicians and attorneys. During the meeting, members
explained the prefecture and city's action plans and the
central government's response guidelines. They also
discussed the possibility that migratory birds would bring
avian influenza to Japan this fall, as they return from
affected areas. The experts said that it was critical for
local officials to make a decision on which hospitals would
be designated to respond to an AI outbreak, so that
treatment for other diseases and medical emergencies would
not be negatively impacted. In addition, they talked about
the need for the public to be better educated about the
disease. The group appointed ten medical and government
experts to create a manual on medical treatment such as the
distribution of Tamiflu and details on patient
transportation. (Note: Kyoto Prefecture is fairly
proactive in its avian influenza related preparations most
likely due to the fact that it experienced an H5N1 outbreak
in poultry in early 2004, during which five individuals
tested positive for H5N1 antibodies, but did not become
ill.)

-- Imports of Eggs Skyrocket: Avian Flu to Blame --


4. On April 9, the Sankei Shinbun Newspaper reported that
Japan's import of fresh eggs has skyrocketed over the past
few years because of avian influenza concerns. This has
led in turn to what the newspaper called the "destruction
of the domestic production myth." In 2005, Japan imported

TOKYO 00002017 002.2 OF 003


eleven times more eggs than it did the previous year.
Currently, Japan imports about eight percent of its eggs.
After outbreaks of avian influenza were reported,
consumption dropped and domestic companies decreased their
production in response. When demand increased again, the
producers were unable to meet the new demand.


5. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (MAFF),imports of fresh eggs have increased by
about 1,000 to 2,000 tons per year over the past decade.
In 2005, when an exponential jump occurred, import levels
totaled 13,748 tons, compared to only 1,233 tons in 2004.
The primary exporting countries were the United States, the
Netherlands and Brazil. The wholesale price for one
kilogram of fresh eggs has been stable in Japan since World
War II, hovering around 100 to 200 yen. However, after the
2004 avian influenza outbreak in Yamaguchi Prefecture, when
concern about the safety of chicken meat and eggs
increased, demand fell and so did prices. As a result,
producers lowered their production to help stabilize the
prices. Consumption then increased and prices skyrocketed.
Because it takes nearly a half-year to restart egg
production, many processors switched to imports to keep up
with the demand. Imports have continued to keep the supply
stable, resulting in the annual increase of foreign
produced eggs in Japan.

-- Last Remaining Prefecture Releases its Pandemic Plan --


6. Hyogo - the last remaining prefecture to do so -
released its pandemic influenza preparedness action plan on
April 10. (Note: Kobe City is located in Hyogo
Prefecture). The plan enables the Hyogo government to
"strongly request" that a suspected individual who is
likely infected with pandemic influenza be hospitalized.
The plan assumes there has been human-to-human transmission
of avian influenza overseas. If a potentially infected
individual is detected through symptoms and quick tests,
the Hyogo government can require the patient to be
hospitalized for 24 hours for further testing. During that
time period, the government will ask the patient's family
to stay at home to minimize the potential spread of the
virus at its early stages of infection. Officials will
also request that the central government provide it with a
list of individuals who traveled overseas to affected areas
in order to be able to ask the returnees to be tested as
well. By submitting this plan, all Japanese prefectural
governments now have their own preparedness plans in place.

-- Hundreds of Birds Die Mysteriously Across Japan --


7. Several cases of large amounts of wild birds dying have
been recently reported across Japan. On April 7, the Oita
Prefectural Government announced that 89 dead crows were
found in three pine forests in the prefecture between March
28-31. The government conducted tests to see if the dead
birds were infected with the avian influenza virus or
Newcastle disease, but they came back negative for both.
As a result, officials conducted additional tests where
they fed the gastric contents of the dead crows to mice,
all of which died shortly thereafter. The government
suspects that some kind of poisonous substance was the
cause of the deaths.


8. In Hokkaido, 600 dead sparrows have been found since
the end of last year in a residential area of Asahikawa
City. Professor Mitsuhiko Asakawa, from the Rakuno Gakuen
University, investigated the sparrow deaths, and concluded
that parasites, toxic substances, or starvation were not
the cause. He will conduct further investigations to see
if the cause may have been related to some kind of
microorganism. Avian influenza was not detected in the
dead sparrows.


9. In Tokyo, 43 dead domesticated pigeons were found in
two parks during April 8-9. The distance between the two
parks is about 13 km. Tokyo's animal health center is

TOKYO 00002017 003.2 OF 003


currently investigating the cause of the deaths. Because
the pigeons tested negative for the avian influenza virus,
the center suspects that the birds died from a toxic
substance or were killed by humans.

SCHIEFFER