AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT JANUARY 25

UNCLAS TOKYO 000353 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE DEPT FOR OES/IHA COMELLA DEPT FOR EAP/J USDA PASS TO APHIS HHS PASS TO CDC HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI JA SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT JANUARY 25 REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 ¶B. TOKYO 224 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. No human outbreaks of H5N1 AI were reported in Japan during the period from January 18 to 25. --- Another Suspected AI Outbreak in Kyushu --- ¶2. On January 23, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry of Fisheries (MAFF) and the Miyazaki Prefectural Government announced that an avian influenza outbreak is suspected at another poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture, 60 km from the farm in Kiyotake where H5N1 was confirmed last week. The deaths of about 570 chickens were reported on January 22 and 23 at a farm in Hyuga City that raises about 50,000 chickens. According to the Miyazaki Government, a preliminary test on 11 birds indicated that one was positive for avian influenza and four others were suspected to be positive. Once the Miyazaki Government succeeds in isolating the virus, samples will be transferred to the National Institute of Animal Health in Tsukuba for further investigation. The government has quarantined SIPDIS the remaining chickens at the farm and requested farms in the area to refrain from transporting chickens and eggs. An official of the Miyazaki Government commented that there is probably no relation between the suspected outbreak in Hyuga City and the previous outbreak in Kiyotake, as the Hyuga cases have occurred a full week after the Government completed sanitization of the affected farm in Kiyotake. SCHIEFFER