OIE: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, Japan

Information received on 12/01/2018 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	Immediate notification
Date of start of the event	10/01/2018
Date of confirmation of the event	12/01/2018
Report date	12/01/2018
Date submitted to OIE	12/01/2018
Reason for notification	Recurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence	27/03/2017
Manifestation of disease	Clinical disease
Causal agent	Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Serotype	H5N6
Nature of diagnosis	Clinical, Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to	a defined zone within the country

New outbreaks

Summary of outbreaks

Total outbreaks: 1

Outbreak Location

KAGAWA ( Sanuki-shi )

Total animals affected

Species	Susceptible	Cases	Deaths	Killed and disposed of	Slaughtered
Birds	51000	55	55		0

Outbreak statistics

Species	Apparent morbidity rate	Apparent mortality rate	Apparent case fatality rate	Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Birds	0.11%	0.11%	100.00%	**

* Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter;

Epidemiology

Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection

Unknown or inconclusive

Epidemiological comments

On 10 January 2018, the local veterinary service in Kagawa Prefecture received a notification from a domestic broilers farm on an increase in the number of dead birds (55 birds on the same day). The samples were sent to the laboratory of the local veterinary service (Tobu Livestock Hygiene Service Centre) and the samples from dead birds and live birds were confirmed as avian influenza virus positive by antigen-capture kits. On 11 January, the Centre conducted RT-PCR and RRT-PCR tests and confirmed that the subtype was H5. On 12 January, the sequencing of the H5 gene was carried out by the National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH) and the causative virus was determined as highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. On the same day, NIAH conducted the RT-PCR test and confirmed that the subtype of the virus was H5N6.

Stamping-out policy was applied to the affected farm. Destruction of all the susceptible 51000 birds in the affected farm and 40000 birds in an epidemiologically linked farm is being implemented. Movement and shipment restrictions are imposed on the farms within a radius of 3 km and 3-10 km of the affected farm respectively.

Full genome sequencing of the virus is undergoing.

Control measures

Measures applied	Movement control inside the country Screening Quarantine Stamping out Disinfection Vaccination prohibited No treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied	No other measures

Diagnostic test results

Laboratory name and type

Tobu Livestock Hygiene Service Centre ( Local laboratory )

Tests and results

Species	Test	Test date	Result
Birds	real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR)	11/01/2018	Positive

Laboratory name and type

Tobu Livestock Hygiene Service Centre ( Local laboratory )

Tests and results

Species