Published Date: 2008-05-11 01:00:23
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (68): Japan, S.Korea, Viet Nam, India
Archive Number: 20080511.1605
AVIAN INFLUENZA (68): JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, VIET NAM, INDIA
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In this update:
[1] Japan, 2nd swan in Hokkaido
[2] South Korea, Seoul
[3] Viet Nam, Can Tho city
[4] India, West Bengal
******
[1] Japan, 2nd swan in Hokkaido
Date: Sat 10 May 2008
Source: Reuters [edited]
<http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-33508320080510>
Japan finds another case of bird flu in dead swan
-------------------------------------------------
Japan has found the H5N1 strain of bird flu in another swan in the
northernmost main island of Hokkaido, the prefectural government of
Hokkaido said on its website on Saturday [10 May 2008].
The case was confirmed from a dead swan found 5 days ago near Lake
Saroma in eastern Hokkaido. On the same day, local authorities had
said the same strain of bird flu was found in another swan found dead
on 24 Apr 2008 in another area of the island.
The latest case is the 3rd in Japan this year. In late April 2008,
several swans were found with the H5N1 strain on the shores of Lake
Towada, close to the northern tip of the main island of Honshu.
The livestock hygiene service centre will issue an order for chicken
farms within a 30-km [18.6-mile] radius to disinfect poultry houses,
Kyodo news agency said. No human deaths from the disease have been
reported in Japan.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The infected swans have been found in 2 locations in Japan: Akita
and Hokkaido. The following information is derived from Japan's
initial (29 Apr 2008) and follow-up (9 May 2008) reports to the OIE,
available at
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=event_summary&reportid=7003>
(where a map is available as well):
1. Akita
--------
"The swans, of which 3 had died and one was emaciated, were found on
the shores of Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture in the north of the
country on 21 Apr 2008. Until 28 Apr 2008, the authorities have been
monitoring the area but they have not found any incident with a large
number of deaths in wild birds. There are no chicken farms within the
10-km-radius [6.2 mile] area where the swans were found and no
unusual incidents were observed in other farms. Following the
occurrence of this event, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries of Japan has asked the prefecture authorities of Akita,
Aomori and Iwate, which share the boundary of the shores of Lake
Towada, to strengthen the monitoring of the farms in order to prevent
the spread of the disease thorough early detection and to report the
measures applied regarding abnormal chickens and the prevention of
the entry of wild birds into poultry houses.
"The prefecture authorities visited the 15 chicken farms for
emergency on-site inspections within a 30-km-radius [18.6-mile] area
where the swans were found. As of 9 May 2008, emergency disinfection
of the chicken farms was carried out and is ongoing in the whole area
of each prefecture (Akita, Aomori, Iwate). They are also monitoring
the wild birds around the area and cooperate with the Ministry of
Environment on the surveillance measures of wild birds. Until 9 May
2008, no unusual incidents have been reported in the Akita, Aomori
and Iwate prefectures."
2. Hokkaido
-----------
"The Hokkaido University (OIE Reference Laboratory) has confirmed a
case of HPAI H5N1 in a dead swan at the Nozuke peninsula on the
Betsukai town. The authorities inspected for emergency on-site
inspections 5 chicken farms within a 30-km-radius [18.6-mile] of the
spot where the dead swan was found on 24 Apr 2008. Emergency
disinfection of the chicken farms finished in the area on 7 May 2008.
Until 9 May 2008, No unusual incidents have been observed."
According to today's (10 May 2008) media report, a 2nd infected swan
has now been identified in Hokkaido. - Mod.AS]
******
[2] South Korea, Seoul
Date: Tue 6 May 2008
Source: The Korea Times [edited]
<http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=23697&categoryCode=117>
Bird Flu Outbreak Reaches Seoul
-------------------------------
The bird flu outbreak that has swept South Korea reached the capital
Seoul on Tuesday [6 May 2008], prompting quarantine officials to
decontaminate and limit access to a nearby children's park and open air market.
The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said tests
conducted on 4 birds that started dying off from late April 2008
showed they were contaminated with the H5 avian influenza virus.
The bird vivarium located at the Gwangjin ward office in eastern
Seoul raised 57 chickens, ducks, pheasants and turkeys. The outbreak
marks the 1st time that the avian influenza has hit Seoul since
quarantine officials received reports of wholescale [?] bird deaths
on 1 Apr 2008.
The ministry said all birds in the vivarium have been culled and
buried as a precautionary measure, while detailed tests to determine
if the deaths were caused by a virulent strain of the bird flu will
be made known later in the day [a follow-up report may be expected;
South Korea's last report to the OIE on the outbreak dates back to 15
Apr 2008. - Mod.AS]
"Interviews with the ward's workers revealed that the pheasant that
died on 28 Apr 2008 was bought at a livestock market in Seongnam,
south of Seoul," a quarantine official said. He added that inspectors
have been dispatched to the market to check for additional
contamination and to find out how the pheasant got sick.
The expert said while there was little chance of the bird flu
spreading in an urban environment, authorities have sealed off
Children's Grand Park located 1.2 km from the vivarium and Gyeongdong
market, where some live poultry transactions take place.
Most of the initial bird flu cases reported this year were centered
in the Jeolla region in southwestern South Korea. It has since spread
through most of the country with bird deaths being reported in
Gyeongsang region in the southeast and 2 cities in Gyeonggi Province
south of Seoul.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
******
[3] Viet Nam, Can Tho city
Date: Thu 8 May 2008
Source: Xinhua net [edited]
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/08/content_8128344.htm>
Viet Nam spots new bird flu outbreak
------------------------------------
Bird flu has stricken fowl flocks in Viet Nam's southern Can Tho city
over the past few days, raising the total number of affected
localities in the country to 3, according to Viet Nam's Department of
Animal Health on Thursday [8 May 2008].
The bird flu outbreak killed 1131 poultry, including 1070 chickens
raised by a household in the city's Phong Dien rural district. Local
veterinary forces on Wednesday [7 May 2008] culled the remainders of
829 healthy fowls in the affected flocks to prevent the disease's spread.
Viet Nam currently has 3 localities having poultry being hit by bird
flu: northern Son La province, southern Vinh Long province and
southern Can Tho city, the department said.
Bird flu outbreaks in Viet Nam, starting in December 2003, have
killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls
in the country.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
******
[4] India, West Bengal
Date: Fri 9 May 2008
Source: Reuters alertnet [edited]
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL145045.htm>
Bird flu resurfaces in India's West Bengal state
------------------------------------------------
Veterinary workers were getting ready to cull thousands of backyard
poultry to contain an outbreak of bird flu in India's eastern state
of West Bengal which has struggled to control the virus since January
2008. The communist-ruled state briefly contained the outbreak by
culling more than 4 million birds in 14 of its 19 districts, but the
virus has intermittently resurfaced.
Poultry sales in the state had fallen by about 70 percent in the
January-March period, but traders said they were still struggling to
overcome losses. On Friday [9 May 2008], officials said the virus has
spread to the tea-growing Darjeeling district, the 15th to be hit by
bird flu this year.
"Tests in a central laboratory confirmed the recent poultry deaths
from the H5N1 strain of the virus in Darjeeling district," Rajesh
Pande, a senior government official told Reuters.
Around 300 birds mysteriously died last week in Sukna area in the
foothills of the Himalayas near the bustling northern town of
Siliguri, he said. "The deaths are all in backyard poultry and not in
any farm," Pande added.
After a massive culling operation, authorities in West Bengal said in
February 2008 that bird flu was under control.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the situation in
West Bengal as India's worst bird flu outbreak in poultry. India's
1st outbreak of H5N1 was reported in 2006.
Officials in West Bengal said they were looking for people with
flu-like symptoms. India has so far not reported any human infections.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
See Also
Avian influenza (66): Japan, swan, Denmark, LPAI H7, OIE 20080430.1484Avian influenza (65): Japan, swan, Denmark, LPAI, H7 20080429.1479
Avian influenza (67): South Korea 20080504.1523
Avian influenza (63): South Korea 20080421.1419
Avian influenza (62): South Korea, update 20080415.1361
Avian influenza (60): South Korea, 4th outbreak, duck 20080411.1321
Avian influenza (59): India (Tripura), South Korea (N Jeolla) 20080408.1295
Avian influenza (56): South Korea, 2nd outbreak, duck 20080405.1250
Avian influenza (55): South Korea, Viet Nam, OIE 20080404.1239
Avian influenza (55): South Korea, Viet Nam, OIE 20080404.1239
Avian influenza, human (39): Indonesia, Viet Nam (WHO) 20080319.1060
Avian influenza (48): China, Bangladesh, India, Viet Nam 0080317.1042
Avian influenza, human (38): Viet Nam 20080317.1041
Avian influenza (47): Viet Nam, civet 20080316.1035
Avian influenza (46): India, Viet Nam, Bangladesh 20080314.1013
Avian influenza (45): Viet Nam, civet, RFI 20080313.1003
Avian influenza (44): Viet Nam, civet 20080312.0991
Avian influenza (41): Viet Nam, China (Hong Kong) 20080308.0951
Avian influenza, human (31): China, Egypt, Viet Nam, WHO 20080226.0784
Avian influenza (64): India (Tripura) 20080423.1434
Avian influenza (59): India (Tripura), South Korea (N Jeolla) 20080408.1295
Avian influenza (42): India (West Bengal) 20080309.0967
Avian influenza (23): India (West Bengal), Thailand (Phichit) 20080126.0328
Avian influenza (17): Iran (Mazandaran), India (West Bengal) -
OIE 20080119.0235
Avian influenza (15): India (West Bengal), Iran (Mazandaran) 20080118.0224
....................arn/ejp/mpp
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