OIE: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Japan
Information received on 29/04/2008 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 |
21/04/2008 |
| Date of first confirmation of the event |
25/04/2008 |
| Report date |
29/04/2008 |
| Date submitted to OIE |
29/04/2008 |
| 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 |
Total outbreaks: 1 |
| Outbreak Location and Affected population |
- AKITA (Kosaka Town) : Swans
|
| Total animals affected |
| Species |
Susceptible |
Cases |
Deaths |
Destroyed |
Slaughtered |
| Wild species |
** |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 | |
| Outbreak statistics |
| Species |
Apparent morbidity rate |
Apparent mortality rate |
Apparent case fatality rate |
Proportion susceptible animals lost* |
| Wild species |
** |
** |
100.00% |
** |
* 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 |
|
| 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 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. |
Control measures
| Measures applied |
- Vaccination prohibited
- No treatment of affected animals
|
| Measures to be applied |
|
Diagnostic test results
| Laboratory name and type |
Akita Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center (prefectural organization) (Local laboratory) |
| Tests and results |
| Species |
Test |
Test date |
Result |
| Wild species |
pathogen isolation by egg inoculation |
25/04/2008 |
Positive | |
| Laboratory name and type |
National Institute of Animal Health (National laboratory) |
| Tests and results |
| Species |
Test |
Test date |
Result |
| Wild species |
intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) test |
29/04/2008 |
Positive |
| Wild species |
neuraminidase inhibition assay |
29/04/2008 |
Positive | |