Re: Japan detects bird flu in wild swans
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90QNAC00&show_article=1<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 14px" vAlign=top width="99%">AOMORI, Japan, May 22 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The highly virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been detected in two swans found dead or weakened at the shores of Lake Towada in
Aomori Prefecture, the Aomori prefectural government said Thursday.
A similar strain has already been detected in dead swans found last month and earlier this month at the Towada lakeside in neighboring Akita Prefecture and the shores of Lake Saroma in eastern Hokkaido.
Genetic tests have showed that the H5N1 strain, detected in Akita Prefecture and Hokkaido, are very close to those detected in poultry in
South Korea.
In Tokyo, the Environment Ministry said it will make a genetic analysis of the H5N1 strain detected in the swans in Aomori Prefecture in an effort to determine links, if any, among the viruses detected so far.
Among the
two swans in
Aomori Prefecture was one which was found
weakened on April 18 at the premises of a hotel on Towada's southern lake side. It died two days later. The other was one
found dead on May 8 in the northern part of Towada.
Both
swans tested negative for avian
influenza virus in a preliminary examination. But the deadly H5N1 strain was
detected later in detailed checks by Tottori University conducted on request by the Environment Ministry, prefectural government officials said.
Separate from the two in Aomori Prefecture,
another dead swan was found last Sunday in the
village of Sai on the northern tip of the
Shimokita Peninsula. It will be sent to Tottori University next week for detailed virus checks, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry said it has conducted virus checks on some 100 wild birds captured at Lake Towada between May 5 and 8, and some 100 sets of droppings from wild birds at Lake Saroma on May 12. They tested negative for avian influenza virus.
Medical experts say H5N1, an avian disease, may mutate or reassort into a strain capable of efficient human-to-human transmission and that an outbreak of avian influenza could kill millions.
The Japanese government has continued efforts to build up stockpiles of a Swiss-developed anti-flu drug called Tamiful.
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