AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT APRIL 27

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002307 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 27 REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 ¶B. TOKYO 2135 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. TOKYO 1613 TOKYO 00002307 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. The following is an update on avian influenza (AI) developments in Japan for the period April 19 to 27. No human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza were reported in Japan during the past week. - Japan's 19.3 Million to OIE and FAO Further Discussed - ¶2. On April 25 and 26, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF),OIE and FAO jointly hosted a meeting in Tokyo to provide guidance for the GOJ's trust fund to assist with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) control in Southeast Asia. The conference consisted of two days of meetings and a one-day site visit to the National Institute of Animal Health to evaluate diagnostic needs. Eight target recipient countries participated in the meetings, and included Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Each of the eight countries gave a presentation on its AI status and requests for assistance. OIE and FAO also gave presentations on the mechanisms for assistance. APHIS Regional Director and APHIS Area Director attended the conference as observers. ¶3. During the conference, the participants discussed the effective use of Japan's USD 19.3 million contribution to the OIE and FAO. (For details on Japan's overall USD 159 million AI assistance pledge, see ref C.) Japanese representatives gave a presentation on Japan's AI status and on the guidelines for the trust fund. Diagnostic equipment will be a major component of Japan's assistance program. Other components include: contingency planning, an early warning system, training for surveillance and control activities, increasing lab diagnostic and surveillance capacity, strengthening veterinary services, and public and industry awareness. The exact amounts allocated to these activities have not yet been determined, but a timeline for addressing allocation and other issues of implementation has been set up. The funds for this program are limited to the current fiscal year that ends in March 2007. ; ¶4. The draft summary report of the conference included several sections -- identifying needs for each country, explaining the roles of the FAO and OIE in these activities and projects, and timelines for broad project implementation. Throughout the conference, certain themes were emphasized and re-emphasized -- harmonizing control efforts, coordination among international organizations and donors, recognizing regional/national/local needs, the importance of compensation (reporting) and industry restructuring (change production practices),strengthening veterinary services, training and technical assistance, and resources (diagnostic equipment). The final report will be completed by June. ¶5. APHIS Area Director introduced two USDA training efforts that are targeted for the region -- Epidemiology and Foreign Animal Disease Diagnosis, and introduced the new USDA office in Bangkok to manage HPAI issues for SE Asia. -- Criteria for Human AI Cases Defined -- ¶6. On April 24, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) decided on the criteria it would use to define suspected human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection. TOKYO 00002307 002.2 OF 002 The Ministry's Health Sciences Council Infectious Diseases Panel is discussing the finalization of MHLW's AI diagnostic and treatment guidelines. MHLW will apply the guidelines to individuals who have had contact with dead birds and birds or humans infected or likely infected with the virus. If these individuals have a fever that is higher than 38 degrees centigrade, pneumonia or respiratory difficulty they will need to be placed under medical observation and further examined. If the avian influenza virus or its genes are detected, MHLW will officially designate the individual as a confirmed human AI case. The Ministry plans to finalize the guidelines and release them to the prefectures in June. -- Last Chirp Heard from Sick Ibaraki Birds -- ¶7. On April 21, Ibaraki Prefecture announced that it has finished culling all chickens that were infected with avian influenza or were under surveillance for the disease. The national and local governments culled a total of 5.68 million chickens at 40 poultry farms that were confirmed to have been infected with AI. The outbreaks started in June 2005 and lasted several months, but the route of infection still remains unsolved. The total cost of the culling was approximately Yen 5 billion (USD 43.5 million). Additional monies were spent to compensate farmers for their losses, but details on the total amount spent are currently unavailable. Even though authorities have completed the culling, Ibaraki's avian influenza taskforce will remain active to prepare for future outbreaks. -- MHLW to Golden Week Travelers: Gargle and Wash Hands -- ¶8. On April 25, MHLW issued guidance cautioning Golden Week holidaymakers to take extra precautions to avoid falling ill to infectious diseases such as avian influenza, dengue fever and rabies by avoiding unpurified water, raw food, and contact with insects or animals. The Ministry requested travelers who feel ill after returning to Japan from a trip abroad to consult with quarantine officials and seek immediate treatment if their condition worsens. MHLW advised that travelers stay away from areas with concentrated bird populations such as marketplaces and poultry farms, and advised individuals to wash their hands and gargle as appropriate. DONOVAN