Bird flu fears in Japan, Hong Kong

The Japanese Government confirmed Friday of the country's first a dangerous bird flu outbreak in three years, although it emphasized that there no evidence that the disease had spread over chicken. The report was the first human case two weeks after Hong Kong there since 2003 reported.

AFP/Getty Images (this file photo on 16 June 2006 shows live chickens for sale at a market in Hong Kong.) Hong Kong confirmed its first case of bird flu in humans in seven years.

Announcing Japan's Ministry for agriculture, forestry and fisheries came dead in a place to a farm in rural Western Shimane Prefecture five chickens in their poultry house last Saturday, and a few more in the same place on Monday morning. After a quick test turned up positive for the industry-threatening influenza, 21,500 chickens on the farm slaughtered and four farms in the close - in a 10 km radius of the infected farm - was commanded not send eggs and poultry as a precaution.

While avian influenza withdrew fear, who is the burden never entirely disappeared since large seven years ago. Globally, some 40 human cases including 20 deaths confirmed this year by the WHO. 73 Confirmed cases and 32 deaths were in 2009.

AFP/Getty Images

While avian influenza withdrew fear, who is the burden never entirely disappeared since large seven years ago.

Friday's test in Japan taken identifies the virus from the dead chickens as the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Multiple roots can be transmitted to humans, but the H5N1 strain has caused the greatest number of human cases of illness and death.

Outbreaks of H5N1 infection in birds were rare. Those who started in South-East Asia in 2003 were the most common and serious monitored according to the World Health Organization, the cases of avian influenza.

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Previous H5N1 outbreaks reported nine Asian countries, including Japan. Japan outbreaks were checked and it was free considered body according to the global health of the disease.

A case of human infection of H5N1 in Hong Kong, his first was confirmed in seven years on 17 November. Two Indonesia human cases were reported in October.

It is "not unusual, sporadic human cases find under" in regions where there occasional outbreaks in poultry, said Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, a WHO spokesperson on the recent cases. Outbreaks of the year can occur at any time, she said.

Japan was taken with the H5N1 strain of avian flu in 2004 for the first time in 79 years, and then again in 2007. Officials 410.000 chickens and 170,000 chicken slaughtered after every incident in the Western Japan. (Detected less virulent avian flu variations in Japan 2005 and 2009.)

In a sign think officials included programmes have lifted spread this time was Friday egg this week's ban, as the flu tests on the birds in the nearby courts were negative. Restrictions on the transport of poultry will remain until the security of the area is confirmed by further testing on all birds in the nearby companies for three weeks after a disinfection process is complete.

The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that although people infected meat and eggs to consume, wouldn't you be affected.

As infected birds Shimane examines but it is possible extended holes that bird prevention said Ryuji Kawakami, an official of Shimane Prefecture NET, entered an infected wild bird the poultry house by some.

"It is really unfortunate that this happens here, especially since we make a routine check on rehabilitation chicken houses diligently every month." This is one of the diseases, the chicken farmers most afraid ", said Mr Kawakami.

Write toMiho Inada miho.inada@wsj.com and Shirley S. Wang at shirley.wang@wsj.com

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