AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT FEBRUARY 02

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000489 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 FEBRUARY 02 REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 ¶B. TOKYO 353 AND PREVIOUS TOKYO 00000489 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. No human outbreaks of H5N1 AI were reported in Japan during the period from January 25 to February 02. -- MHLW drafts guidelines for pandemic influenza -- ¶2. On January 19, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) submitted to an advisory panel draft guidelines on measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza (PI) that can be transmitted from human to human. The guidelines cover 12 areas: 1) immediate response strategies at the early stage of a PI outbreak, 2) epidemiological studies, 3)quarantines, 4) countermeasures for companies, 5) countermeasures for households, communities and local governments, 6) cremations and burials, 7) surveillance studies, 8) medical systems, 9) countermeasures to prevent infection at medical institutions, 10) diagnostic examinations at medical institutions, 11) vaccinations and anti-viral drugs, and 12) risk communications. The advisory panel's report was released for public comment on January 31 and is due to be finalized by the end of March. ¶3. The MHLW guidelines instruct local governments to respond quickly to quarantine those infected by PI and to inoculate with anti-viral drugs and restrict the movement of family members and coworkers. Within 72 hours, local governments should decide whether to restrict movement to affected areas, in coordination with the central government. The guidelines concede that blocking off affected areas may not always be possible, especially in large cities. ¶4. Companies will be requested to take preemptive measures to limit the spread of PI. Examples of these measures include setting up specialized sections to address the issue and improving their telecommuting systems. In the event of a PI outbreak, companies will be urged to avoid unnecessary meetings, employ teleconferencing, and consider evacuation of employees working in affected countries. Households will be asked to be prepared by stocking enough food for two weeks and to avoid leaving home in the event of an outbreak. Local governments will be requested to prepare food for individuals who are not allowed or unable to leave their homes. -- Third Suspected AI Outbreak in Miyazaki - ¶5. On January 30, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Miyazaki Prefectural Government announced that an avian influenza (AI) outbreak is suspected at a poultry farm in the town of Shimtomi, Miyazaki Prefecture. This follows two confirmed cases of AI in Miyazaki Prefecture and one in Okayama Prefecture earlier this month. As of February 1, 316 chickens were reported to have died on the farm. A preliminary test on 13 chickens indicated that seven were positive for avian influenza. On February 1, MAFF confirmed that the virus was the H5 type. However, the National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH) in Tsukuba is continuing to investigate the specific strain of the virus. The Miyazaki government has restricted movement of chickens and eggs at 100 farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm, and has begun culling the remaining 93,000 chickens. -- AI Outbreak in Okayama Confirmed to be H5N1-- ¶6. On January 31, MAFF announced that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in samples taken from dead chickens at a farm in Takahashi City of Okayama Prefecture in western Japan. The outbreak in Okayama was Japan's third this year involving the H5N1 strain. The farm has already been sterilized and the remaining 12,000 chickens have been culled. The Okayama Government tested chickens at 18 other farms located within 10-kilometers of the affected farm, but no new AI cases were discovered. -- AI Outbreak in Hyuga, Miyazaki Update -- ¶7. On January 27, MAFF confirmed that the avian influenza outbreak TOKYO 00000489 002.2 OF 002 in the town of Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture, initially reported on January 23, was caused by the H5N1 virus. The Miyazaki Government is investigating 11 other poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm. The Ministry of Environment has begun an investigation into the source of the virus by examining wild birds. SCHIEFFER