Japan - 7 new outbreaks of highly pathogenic influenza H5N6 in crows in Itami city, Hyogo (OIE, March 23, 2018)

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Highly pathogenic influenza A viruses (infection with) (non-poultry including wild birds), Japan

Information received on 23/03/2018 from Dr Kazuo Ito, Director, International Animal Health Affairs Office, Animal Health Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo, Japan

Summary Report type Follow-up report No. 5 Date of start of the event 05/11/2017 Date of confirmation of the event 09/11/2017 Report date 23/03/2018 Date submitted to OIE 23/03/2018 Reason for notification Recurrence of a listed disease Date of previous occurrence 08/03/2017 Manifestation of disease Clinical disease Causal agent Highly pathogenic influenza A virus Serotype H5N6 Nature of diagnosis Clinical, Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced) This event pertains to a defined zone within the country Related reports Immediate notification (10/11/2017) Follow-up report No. 1 (13/11/2017) Follow-up report No. 2 (24/11/2017) Follow-up report No. 3 (22/01/2018) Follow-up report No. 4 (09/03/2018) Follow-up report No. 5 (23/03/2018)

New outbreaks (7)

Outbreak 1 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 04/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (04/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 5 5 0 0

Outbreak 2 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 05/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (05/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 6 6 0 0

Outbreak 3 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 06/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (06/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 6 6 0 0

Outbreak 4 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 07/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (07/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 3 3 0 0

Outbreak 5 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 08/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (08/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 1 1 0 0

Outbreak 6 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 11/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (11/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 1 1 0 0

Outbreak 7 Itami city, Hyogo Date of start of the outbreak 14/03/2018 Outbreak status Resolved (14/03/2018) Epidemiological unit Not applicable Affected animals Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 1 1 0 0

Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 7 Total animals affected Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) 23 23 0 0 Outbreak statistics Species Apparent morbidity rate Apparent mortality rate Apparent case fatality rate Proportion susceptible animals lost* Large-billed Crow:Corvus macrorhynchos(Corvidae) ** ** 100.00% ** *Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter **Not calculated because of missing information

Epidemiology Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection Unknown or inconclusive Epidemiological comments Large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) were found dead in Itami city and tested positive for influenza A virus with rapid tests. Then confirmatory tests were carried out in Tottori University and H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in 24 samples.

Control measures Measures applied Screening Disinfection Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals Measures to be applied No other measures

Diagnostic test results Laboratory name and type Species Test Test date Result Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow gene sequencing 09/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow gene sequencing 12/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow gene sequencing 15/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow gene sequencing 23/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination (HA) test 09/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination (HA) test 12/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination (HA) test 15/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination (HA) test 23/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT) 09/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT) 12/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT) 15/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT) 23/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 09/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 12/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 15/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) 23/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow virus isolation 09/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow virus isolation 12/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow virus isolation 15/03/2018 Positive Tottori University (Private Laboratory) Large-billed Crow virus isolation 23/03/2018 Positive

Future Reporting The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

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http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=26180

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Japan's 1st deadly mass avian flu infections among wild ground birds hits crows in Hyogo

April 12, 2018 (Mainichi Japan)

ITAMI, Hyogo -- A recent spate of crow fatalities at a park here has been confirmed to be caused by the country's first known cases of deadly mass infections of avian flu among wild ground birds, raising an alarm among the Environment Ministry and other concerned parties.

Since last fall, when the current avian flu season set in, jungle crows that were found dead at Koyaike Park in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, have accounted for some 70 percent of dead wild birds across the country that have been put to simple virus tests. Among them, at least 100 carcasses have been retrieved. While there is little chance of the avian flu virus being transmitted to humans, authorities are scrambling to determine the cause of the deadly mass infection phenomenon.

According to the Environment Ministry and other sources, dead crows were found at the park for the first time this season on March 1. Carcasses of crows have since been retrieved one after another at the park, with the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain of bird flu virus detected in 38 of them.

Apart from this, the Itami Municipal Government has also collected the carcasses of about 70 other birds. While the causes of their deaths have yet to be determined, most of them are believed to have died from bird flu.
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https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180412/p2a/00m/0na/010000c