JAPAN - Pandemic Preparedness

[Snowy Owl]

Japan raises guard aganst bird flu with reclassification
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060414p2a00m0na010000c.html

Japan will step up its defense against highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza by reclassifying it as a designated infectious disease, officials of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Friday.


The step is in response to concern that the avian flu virus could mutate into a highly contagious form and touch off a global pandemic. After the reclassification, the government will be allowed to take forceful measures, such as compulsory hospitalization of patients.





A total of 109 people in nine countries have so far died of the disease, according to the most recent figures compiled by the World Health Organization.


Until now, human infections have been limited to cases that involved close contact with infected birds. In January, however, an expert warned that the virus became more infectious than before after examining samples taken from a patient infected with the avian flu in Turkey.


An official of the Japanese Health Ministry said that the government does not believe the risk of infection in Japan has grown and that the planned reclassification of the disease is a preemptive step. (Jiji Press)
April 14, 2006

[Mellie]

Enhanced H5N1 response planned

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060416b4.html

Enhanced H5N1 response planned

The health ministry has decided to designate the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza as an infectious disease, officials said.

The designation will enable authorities to force infected persons to be hospitalized for treatment and impose restrictions on their work activities, the officials of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.

The plan was approved at a meeting Friday of the ministry's Health Sciences Council and will be implemented this summer, the officials said.

The last time the ministry took such a step was in July 2003, when severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, was designated as an infectious disease.

The government had initially planned to designate the H5N1 strain of bird flu as an infectious disease once an outbreak was confirmed.

But it decided to proceed with the designation anyway in part because H5N1 has been spreading rapidly in various parts of the world, with about 190 cases of human infection confirmed since mid-2003 in nine countries in Asia and in the Middle East, the officials said.

The health ministry also considers it necessary to take preventive measures because H5N1 has the potential to mutate into a form that can be passed easily from person to person and because the World Health Organization has called for isolating a patient infected with H5N1. Currently, the H5N1 strain of bird flu falls in a category of diseases for which authorities are not allowed to isolate a patient.

[Theresa42]

Japan - Gov't to force isolation of people infected with H5N1 bird flu

Tuesday May 30, 1:02 PM
Gov't to force isolation of people infected with H5N1 bird flu

(Kyodo) _ The Cabinet decided Tuesday to designate the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza as an infectious disease subject to compulsory government steps to help contain it in the event of an outbreak among people.

The designation will allow authorities beginning June 12 to force people infected with the illness to be hospitalized and limit their work activities.

A ban will be placed on moving the bodies of those who die of the disease while public transportation systems will be restricted in the event of an outbreak.

The designation system will end one year later but is renewable for one year.

The move comes as the government sees it necessary to take preventive measures against H5N1, which has the potential to mutate into a form that can be passed easily from person to person.

The World Health Organization has also called for isolating infected patients.

H5N1 has spread to numerous countries in the world with about 190 cases of human infection confirmed since mid-2003 in Asia and the Middle East.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060530/kyodo/d8htt43g2.html