Japan detects bird flu in wild swans

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Immediate notification report

Report reference: , Ref OIE: 7003, Report Date: 29/04/2008 , Country: Japan

Report Summary

Disease

Highly pathogenic avian influenza Animal type Terrestrial

Causal Agent

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Serotype(s) H5N1

Clinical Signs

No Reason Reoccurrence of a listed disease

Date of first confirmation of the event

25/04/2008 Date of Start of Event 21/04/2008

Date of report

29/04/2008 Date Submitted To OIE 29/04/2008

Diagnosis

Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced) Date Of Last Occurrence 2007

Number Of Reported Outbreaks

Submitted= 1, Draft= 0 Name of Sender of the report Dr Toshiro Kawashima

Address

International Animal Health Affairs Office
Animal Health Division
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo 100-8950

Position

Director

Telephone

(81-3) 3502 0767

Fax

(81-3) 3502 3385

Email

animal_health@nm.maff.go.jp

Entered by

Mme Margarita Alonso

Outbreak (this report - submitted)

AKITA Unit Type Location Latitude Longitude Start End

AKITA Not applicable Kosaka Town 40,1939 140,4549 21/04/2008

Species Measuring units Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered

Wild species Animals ... 4 4 0 0

Affected Population

Swans

Outbreak summary: Total outbreaks = 1 (Submitted)

Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Destroyed Slaughtered

Wild species 4 4 0 0

Epidemiology

Epidemiological comments

The swans, of which three 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 April. Until 28 April, the authorities have been monitoring the area but they have not found any incident with a large number of deaths in
Printed on: Tue Apr 29 13:27:40 Paris, Madrid (heure d'?t?) 2008 Page 1/3
wild birds. There are no chicken farms within the 10-km-radius 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 will visit the 15 chicken farms for emergency on-site inspections within a 30-km-radius area where the swans were found immediately. They will also monitor the wild birds around the area and cooperate with the Ministry of Environment
on the surveillance measures of wild birds.

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

? Unknown or inconclusive

Control Measures

No Control Measures Animals treated

No

Vaccination Prohibited

Yes

Country / Zone

Country or zone

the whole country

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory Type Name of Laboratory Species Test Type Date Results Provided Result

Local laboratory Akita Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center (prefectural organization) Wild species pathogen isolation by egg inoculation 25/04/2008 Positive
National laboratory National Institute of Animal Health Wild species intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) test 29/04/2008 Positive
National laboratory National Institute of Animal Health Wild species neuraminidase inhibition assay 29/04/2008 Positive

Future Reporting

What further reports will be submitted in relation to this event?

There are 1outbreaks that are still recorded as unresolved. It is not possible to declare this event resolved until these individual outbreaks are resolved.
Immediate notification report. Report reference: , Ref OIE: 7003, Report Date: 29/04/2008 , Country: Japan

Printed on: Tue Apr 29 13:28:18 Paris, Madrid (heure d'?t?) 2008 Page 2/3

http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/reports/en_imm_0000007003_20080429_132739.pdf

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Commentary

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/04...apan_Tell.html

Commentary

Don't Ask Don't Tell H5N1 Surveillance in Japan

Recombinomics Commentary 10:24
April 29, 2008

A Japanese national institute of animal health confirmed Tuesday that the H5 strain of the bird flu virus detected in several dead and dying swans in northeastern Akita Prefecture last week belongs to the highly virulent H5N1 strain.

Three dead swans and one dying swan were found on Monday last week near Lake Towada, with the virus being detected in three of them. Another dead swan and two dying swans were later found on the shores of the lake from Wednesday to Saturday.

The above comments confirm H5N1 in dead or dying swans in Japan. The confirmation was not a surprise (see satellite map). In three of the last five seasons South Korea has reported H5N1 on farms and each season H5N1 was subsequently found in Japan. In 2003/2004 the sequences were closely related. Japan hasn?t released sequences from last season, but the sequences will almost certainly be closely related to the sequences from South Korea, which were the Uvs Lake strain of H5N1. It is likely that H5N1 this season will also be closely related to the Uvs Lake strain.

However, this season the H5N1 was detected as wild birds migrate out of South Korea and Japan, instead of the fall / winter when birds are arriving. The detection delay this season raises surveillance issues in both countries. In Japan the H5N1 was detected in the absence of a reported outbreak in domestic poultry. The increased surveillance was in response to the record breaking outbreaks in South Korea. Thus, H5N1 can be circulating undetected when surveillance is at the ?normal? level, but is easily detected when surveillance is ?enhanced?.

This ?don?t ask don?t tell? approach to H5N1 surveillance is widespread. England found H5N1 in wild birds (swans and a Canada goose) when surveillance was ?enhanced?, and Switzerland found H5N1 in a asymptomatic pochard in an area of enhanced surveillance.

These examples of H5N1 in wild bird populations in regions where there are no reported outbreaks in domestic poultry provide more evidence for widespread H5N1 in wild bird populations that are only detected under ?enhanced surveillance?, which is usually not present, even in countries such as England and Japan. Other countries rely on conservation groups which use collection and testing procedures that are known to produce an over abundance of false negatives.

The latest data in Japan demonstrate that surveillance that is not enhanced is well into the abysmal category, where it has been for many years.


.

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Japan confirms H5N1 bird flu strain in swans

Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:22pm IST
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday confirmed four swans found last week were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
It was the first case of bird flu in Japan since March 2007 when the highly virulent H5N1 strain was found in a wild bird in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern Kyushu island.
The swans, three of which had died, were found on the shores of Lake Towada in northern Akita prefecture on April 21, the prefectural government said.
Inspectors had initially detected the H5 subtype of bird flu in the dead swans and conducted further tests, the local government said on Monday.
Japan has been stepping up checks of birds after a series of bird flu outbreaks in South Korea over the past month.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 kilometer (6 mile) radius of the area where the swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
Local authorities plan to conduct on-site inspections on Wednesday and Thursday at 15 farms within a radius of 30 km (19 miles) of the site where the swans were found, the official said.
Earlier on Tuesday, South Korea reported a suspected bird flu outbreak at a chicken farm in Ulsan City which, if confirmed, would be the first in the southeast, as the country grapples with its worst outbreak of avian influenza.
South Korea previously confirmed 20 cases of the H5N1 strain in poultry in less than a month, despite having killed more than 5 million chickens and ducks, as the virus spreads at its fastest rate since the country reported its first case in 2003.
No human deaths from the disease have been reported in South Korea or Japan.
(Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by David Fogarty)

http://in.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idINT34225620080429

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

AVIAN INFLUENZA (66): JAPAN, SWAN, DENMARK, LPAI H7, OIE
************************************************** ******
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

In this update:
[1] Japan: swan
[2] Denmark: LPAI H7

******
[1] Japan: swan
Date: Tue 29 Apr 2008
Source: OIE WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database) weekly
disease information 2008; 21(18) [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=weekly_report_index&admin=0>


Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Japan
----------------------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 29 Apr 2008 from Dr Toshiro
Kawashima, director, International Animal Health Affairs Office,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo, Japan

Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 21 Apr 2008
Date of 1st confirmation of event: 25 Apr 2008
Report date: 29 Apr 2008
Date submitted to OIE: 29 Apr 2008
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 2007
Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, serotype H5N1
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (basic), laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Outbreak 1: Kosaka Town, Akita
Date of start of the outbreak: 21 Apr 2008
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: not applicable
Species: wild species
Susceptible: --
Cases: 4
Deaths: 4
Destroyed: 0
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: swans

Outbreak statistics
Species: wild species
Apparent morbidity rate: **
Apparent mortality rate: **
Apparent case fatality rate: 100 percent
Proportion susceptible animals lost*: **
* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction,
and/or slaughter
** Total contains unknown quantity

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive

Epidemiological comments: 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 (6.2 mi)-radius 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 through 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 will visit immediately the 15 chicken farms
for emergency on-site inspections within a 30-km (18.6 mi)-radius
area where the swans were found. They will also monitor the wild
birds around the area and cooperate with the Ministry of Environment
on the surveillance measures of wild birds.

Control measures
Measures applied:
- vaccination prohibited
- no treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied: no other measures

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Akita Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center
(prefectural organization) (local laboratory)
Species: wild species
Test: pathogen isolation by egg inoculation
Test date: 25 Apr 2008
Result: positive

Laboratory name and type: National Institute of Animal Health
(national laboratory)
Species: wild species
Test: intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI)
Test date: 29 Apr 2008
Result: positive

Species: wild species
Test: neuraminidase inhibition assay
Test date: 29 Apr 2008
Result: positive

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Akita Prefecture is a popular tourist destination in Japan, located
in the farthest northern reaches of Honshu, which is the largest
island. Lake Towada is a caldera (crater) lake, and is about 450 km
(280 mi) from Tokyo. This location, is far removed from Korea and in
a remote rural part of Japan.

Migration patterns for North American swans, which can be accessed at
<http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/migratio/patterns.htm>,
indicate movement of swans occurs over great distances. Within a
week, hundreds of miles can be covered -- see Bird Studies Canada
data at <http://www.bsc-eoc.org/lpbo/swans/20180.html>.

Given the above, it would be very useful to compare genetic analysis
of the H5N1 isolates from Japan and Korea, although movement from
Korea to Japan doesn't appear to be a major migratory pathway for swans.

References
----------
1. Pierre JP, Huguchi H: Satellite tracking in avian conservation:
applications and results from Asia. Mem. Natl Inst. Polar Res., Spec.
Issue, 58, 101-9, 2004
(<http://www.nipr.ac.jp/~penguin/oogataHP/pdfarticles/10p101-109.pdf>).
2. Olsen B et al: Global Patterns of Influenza A Virus in Wild Birds.
Science 2006; 312(5772): 384-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.1122438
(<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/312/5772/384>).

For a map of the location of Towada Lake, see the OIE report
referenced above or
<http://www.docoja.com:8080/jisho/mainmap?dbname=geog&mainword=Lake_Towada>
- Mod.PC]

******
[2] Denmark: LPAI H7
Date: Tue 29 Apr 2008
Source: OIE WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database) weekly
disease information 2008; 21(18) [edited]
<http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=weekly_report_index&admin=0>


Low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry), Denmark
-------------------------------------------------
Information received on (and dated) 29 Apr 2008 from Mr Torben
Grubbe, MSc, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Food, Agriculture
and Fisheries Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Soeborg, Denmark

Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 24 Apr 2008
Date of 1st confirmation of event: 28 Apr 2008
Report date: 29 April 2008
Date submitted to OIE: 29 Apr 2008
Reason for notification: reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence: 19 Jul 2006
Causal agent: low pathogenic avian influenza virus (serotype H7)
Serotype: pending
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Outbreak 1 Stenstrup, Svendborg Kommune, South
Date of start of the outbreak: 24 Apr 2008
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: farm
Affected animals
Species: birds
Susceptible: 2050
Cases: --
Deaths: 0
Destroyed: 2050
Slaughtered: 0
Affected population: a poultry farm with 300 geese, 250 ducks, and
1500 mallards.

Outbreak statistics
Species: birds
Apparent morbidity rate: **
Apparent mortality rate: 0 percent
Apparent case fatality rate: **
Proportion susceptible animals lost*: 100 percent
* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction,
and/or slaughter
** Total contains unknown quantity

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive.

Epidemiological comments: geese and ducks were tested in accordance
with the Danish surveillance programme for avian influenza in
poultry. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has set up a
restricted zone around the holding and is implementing the necessary
measures in accordance with the European Union Directive 2005/94/EC.

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: National Veterinary Institute (national laboratory)
Species: birds
Test: virus sequencing
Test date: 28 Apr 2008
Result: positive

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[A map of the outbreak location can be accessed via the OIE report
referenced above or at
<http://www.fallingrain.com/world/DA/12/Stenstrup.html>. - Mod.PC]

[see also:
Avian influenza (65): Japan, swan, Denmark, LPAI, H7 20080429.1479
2007
----
Avian influenza (55): Nigeria, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Japan, Thailand 20070320.0986
Avian influenza (31): Pakistan, S. Korea, Turkey, Russia, Japan 20070211.0523
Avian influenza (25): Japan, Viet Nam, UK 20070203.0437
Avian influenza (20): Hungary, Japan 20070130.0389
Avian influenza (18): Japan (Okayama) 20070129.0376
Avian influenza (17): Indonesia (feline), Japan, Hungary 20070126.0347
Avian influenza (13): Japan H5N1, Viet Nam, Indonesia 20070120.0260
Avian influenza (12): Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, OIE 20070118.0237
Avian influenza (08): Japan (Miyazaki), H5 20070114.0184
Avian influenza (07): Japan, susp. 20070113.0177
Avian influenza (05): Japan, susp. 20070112.0157
2006
----
Avian influenza - Eurasia (22): Japan (Ibaraki), H5N2 20060116.0156
Avian influenza H5N2, human - Japan (Ibaraki)(04) 20060112.0111
Avian influenza H5N2, human - Japan (Ibaraki) (03) 20060111.0098
Avian influenza (152) - Denmark, H5, LPAI 20060707.1863
Avian influenza (132) - Denmark, H5N3: OIE, correction 20060623.1740
Avian influenza (137) - Denmark 20060616.1675
Avian influenza (132) - Denmark, H5N3: OIE 20060606.1572
Avian influenza (119) - Denmark, poultry, OIE 20060520.1417
Avian influenza (116) - Denmark (poultry) 20060518.1400
Avian influenza - worldwide (108): Denmark, Germany 20060510.1341
Avian influenza - worldwide (86): Germany, Denmark, Indonesia 20060412.1085
2005
----
Avian influenza - Eurasia (106): Denmark, wild birds, surveillance
20051221.3650]
...................................pc/mj/mpp

[Shiloh]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national...01TDY02305.htm

Govts act to contain bird flu / All Akita Pref. chicken farms inspected to counter outbreak

The Yomiuri Shimbun

AKITA--Following the confirmation that the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in dead and dying swans near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture, local governments and residents have been working to prevent the infection from spreading.

Three dead ohakucho swans, or whooper swans, and a dying swan were found in an area with a 500-meter radius south of the lake on April 21.

The Akita prefectural government is especially concerned that the deadly bird flu virus outbreak may affect sales of Hinai-jidori chicken, a nationally known delicacy, and other local products.

The Akita prefectural government started inspecting 15 poultry houses belonging to 14 chicken farmers and one egg collector within a 30-kilometer radius of the lake, which includes Odate, Kazuno and Kosakamachi in the prefecture, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Officials are checking whether the poultry houses have taken measures to prevent possible bird flu infection. The moves include setting up guard nets to prevent wild birds from entering the facilities and tanks containing disinfectant to sterilize shoes at farm entrances.

The prefectural government also is providing health consultation services to the public during the Golden Week holidays, while local health care centers are fielding public inquiries related to the discovery of dead birds.

In Aomori Prefecture, where many chicken farmers operate, the prefectural government on Monday started inspecting 39 poultry farmers located within a 30-kilometer radius of the lake.

However, following Tuesday's confirmation that the virus was the deadly H5N1 strain, inspections were expanded to include all 163 chicken farms in the prefecture.

Hotels near the lake are worried about the spread of incorrect information that may harm their business.

An official of the Kosakamachi municipal government's industries division said, "We'll make a flyer to tell people that they don't have to be worried about getting infected with the virus, and distribute it in the town."

According to the Akita prefectural government and others, most of the about 300 swans that spent the winter at the lake have already departed the area, flying back on their northbound migratory route in mid-April.

The prefectural government believes the infected swans passed the winter in an area south of the lake, stopping there while en route to Siberia.

Prof. Koichi Otsuki, who heads Kyoto Sangyo University's Avian Influenza Research Center, said, "It's possible that the birds were infected with the virus through droppings and saliva attached to feed in areas to the south of Lake Towada."

Meanwhile, inspectors from the Environment Ministry's natural conservation office for Lake Towada on Wednesday examined whether the H5N1 virus has spread to wild birds in the area. The inspection has been conducted daily since the infected birds were discovered.

According to the World Health Organization, as of April 17, 381 people in 14 countries have been infected with H5N1 since 2003. Of them, 240 have died.

However, experts believe the Akita Prefecture outbreak poses little immediate threat to humans.
(May. 1, 2008)

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national...01TDY02305.htm

Govts act to contain bird flu / All Akita Pref. chicken farms inspected to counter outbreak

The Yomiuri Shimbun

AKITA
Three dead ohakucho swans, or whooper swans, and a dying swan were found in an area with a 500-meter radius south of the lake on April 21.

(May. 1, 2008)

Migration path of tagged whooper swans (flying between Mongolia and South Korea)

http://www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/whooperswan/overall.html

[kent nickell]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Another migration route for Whooper Swan from northern Japan is though Sakhalin Island into Siberia and occasionally into the Aleutian Islands and Alaska (It is also useful to keep in mind that these large birds are indicator or sentinel species and many smaller birds which also likely carry H5N1 and share the diverse migratory pathways are flying 'under the radar'

Ostapenko VA (1991) Migration of Bewicks Swans Cygnus bewickii and Whooper Swans C. cygnus wintering in Japan through Sakhalin Island and adjacent territories, U.S.S.R. In: Sears J, Bacon PJ (eds) Proc IWRB Int Swan Symp 3:209?213

http://whatbird.wildbird.com/obj/297/Behavior/target.aspx

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v080n04/p0540-p0542.pdf

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Another migration route for Whooper Swan from northern Japan is though Sakhalin Island into Siberia and occasionally into the Aleutian Islands and Alaska (It is also useful to keep in mind that these large birds are indicator or sentinel species and many smaller birds which also likely carry H5N1 and share the diverse migratory pathways are flying 'under the radar'

Ostapenko VA (1991) Migration of Bewicks Swans Cygnus bewickii and Whooper Swans C. cygnus wintering in Japan through Sakhalin Island and adjacent territories, U.S.S.R. In: Sears J, Bacon PJ (eds) Proc IWRB Int Swan Symp 3:209?213

http://whatbird.wildbird.com/obj/297/Behavior/target.aspx

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v08...0540-p0542.pdf

Yes, this is especially true for mute swans which are large and easily noticed, but they don't migrate over long distances.

The key point however is the fact that H5N1 can easily move from species to species and need not use one bird or one species to move from point A to point B. Nature reserves are major mixing bowls, both of viral genes as well as species carriers. At Qinghai Lake in 2005, initially all infected birds were bar-headed geese, but by the time China filed their OIE report, 5 migrating species were named (and more species were subsequently reported).

Same thing happened in Germany, Initially, the largest outbreak was almost exclusively black necked grebes, but within a few weeks there were multiple species that were H5N1 positive. At Uvs Lake in 2006 H5N1 was isolated from ducks, grebes, whooper swans, and golden eyes,

H5N1 knows how to get around.

[Shiloh]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

Source: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?s...&article=54474

Caution is urged to avoid bird flu
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, May 2, 2008

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan ? Following the discovery of the deadly bird flu virus in at least three swans at popular tourist site Lake Towada, Misawa Air Base?s public health flight commander is urging Americans to use caution around wild birds but says the risk to the base population is ?low to none.?

Maj. Mahendra Kabbur said people should avoid traveling to wild bird sanctuaries, such as Kabushima, also known as ?Seagull Island,? and refrain from feeding wild birds at local waters. Besides Towada, those include Magi pond at Shimoda Park and Lake Ogawara at the base beach.

?Although chances of catching bird flu [are] low to none, following precautionary measures should help to minimize any risk associated with contracting bird flu,? Kabbur wrote in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes.

One dying and three dead swans were discovered April 21 near Lake Towada. The Japanese government confirmed Tuesday the dead swans were infected with the virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza, which has killed tens of millions of birds since the first cases were reported in Hong Kong in 1997.

Lake Towada, the largest caldera lake on Japan?s main island of Honshu, is about 35 miles southwest of the air base. It?s one of several winter destinations in the area for migratory swans from Siberia.

At Lake Towada and Shimoda, people can purchase bread crumbs or feed to toss to the swans. Shimoda?s swan festival in March is popular with Americans.

People should avoid contact with sick or dead birds, Kabbur said. He noted that the majority of bird flu cases in humans around the world involve people working directly with birds, such as at chicken farms.

?Also, still today, human to human spread is not well established,? he wrote Wednesday.

At least 240 people have died from the bird flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

Most human cases so far have been linked to contact with H5N1-infected poultry or H5N1-contaminated surfaces, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces, according to CDC.

The dead swans are Japan?s first outbreak of H5N1 since March 2007, when researchers found the virus in an eagle on the southern island of Kyushu.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: South Korea:H5N1 Spreading in Fowl, 2 April 2008 +

Whooper Swans have been known to inhabit the outer Aleutian Islands of Attu, Atka, Amchitka, Kanaga, & St. Paul in the late fall, winter, and early spring.

In late May and June, these islands act as magnets for Asian species that make their first North American appearance on the islands.

For an article with a lits of birds to be seen there, see http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=109

.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in four wild swans

5th swan tested positive

Friday, May 2, 2008


Dead swan in Hokkaido tests positive for bird flu


A dead swan found in the Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido has tested positive for bird flu virus, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.


On the lookout: Local health officials testing for avian influenza look for bird droppings at Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture on Thursday. KYODO PHOTO

Hokkaido University will test it further to determine if the virus is highly pathogenic. The swan was found April 24.

Earlier Thursday, the ministry began testing wild swans, geese and ducks for bird flu in Hokkaido, Akita and Aomori prefectures. The action follows the discovery of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in three of four swans found dead or dying near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture on April 21.

The ministry plans to collect droppings from 20 to 100 birds at test spots around lakes and rivers for several days to see if they contain avian influenza.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20080502b1.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in wild swans

Location of Notsuke peninsula and Hokkaido Island.

The location of the 1st 4 positive swans is Akita, shown on the 2nd map, look south of Hokkaido.

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in wild swans

Updated map

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106484775090296685271.00044622013f3bba138f7&t=h&ll=41.836828,134.296875&spn=29.133819,42.275391&z=4

[HenryN]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in wild swans

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05010802/Hokkaido_Swan.html

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Japan detects bird flu in wild swans

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/05...aido_Swan.html

Commentary

Bird Flu Confirmed in Swan in Hokkaido Japan

Recombinomics Commentary 23:50
May 1, 2008

A dead swan found in the Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido has tested positive for bird flu virus, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.

The swan was found April 24

The ministry plans to collect droppings from 20 to 100 birds at test spots around lakes and rivers for several days to see if they contain avian influenza.

The above comments described another dead swan testing positive for bird flu. Since low path avian influenza rarely kills waterfowl, the bird flu will almost certainly be H5N1. The location of the latest reported positive is almost 300 miles northeast of the confirmed H5N1 infected swans in Akita, indicating the infections are widespread (see satellite map). The outbreaks in South Korea are approximately 500 miles southwest of Akita. Earlier reports indicated additional dead swans in Japan were being tested.

These data support spread of H5N1 by migratory birds over a wide area in Japan and South Korea. The outbreak in South Korea has led to the culling of more than 6 million birds and the closure of wet markets. The detection of bird flu in dead swans at two very distinct locations in Japan suggests that more positive birds will be found if surveillance in enhanced, although testing of 20 ? 100 bird droppings is unlikely to produce many positives because the H5N1 is almost certainly clade 2.2, and viral levels in fecal samples is low.

These latest finding in Japan and South Korea, as well as Primorie in southeastern Russia, suggest H5N1 is widespread in these three countries, and will affect additional areas as these migratory birds fly north to multiple locations including areas in North America.


.