Japan reports avian influenza outbreak in Hokkaido

Tokyo: Japan’s agriculture ministry said on Monday that genetic testing has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a farm in Hokkaido Prefecture, marking the 11th bird flu outbreak in the country this season.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the outbreak occurred at a poultry farm in Yuni Town, Hokkaido, leading to the culling of over 6,000 egg-laying chickens.

In accordance with relevant guidelines, all chickens at the farm should be culled, incinerated and buried. Additionally, farms within a 3-kilometre radius are banned from moving chickens and eggs, while others located within a radius of 3 to 10 kilometres cannot transport poultry products outside the area.

Japan’s avian influenza season typically runs from autumn until the following spring. The previous 10 outbreaks this season have already led to the culling of nearly 3.65 million chickens. The country’s first case was confirmed in Hokkaido on October 22, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a type of zoonotic (or animal) influenza that affects wild birds and poultry and is caused by virus sub-types A(H5N1), A(H9N2). Avian influenza has occasionally infected humans; however it does not easily transmit between humans. The majority of human cases of avian influenza have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry.

Since it was first reported in Hong Kong in 1997, the disease has been responsible for human outbreaks and deaths in 16 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In 2006, avian influenza caused by the highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza virus spread rapidly through the Eastern Mediterranean Region with large non-human outbreaks reported in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, occupied Palestinian territories, Pakistan and Sudan. Transmission of the A(H5N1) influenza virus from infected birds to humans was confirmed in Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan and. Since then, avian influenza has become endemic among poultry in Egypt.

The incubation period for the A(H5N1) ranges from 2 to 5 days on average and up to 17 days. Symptoms of infection in humans include fever, malaise, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. Severe disease and death may result from a complication of pneumonia. The case fatality rate for avian influenza among humans is much higher than that for seasonal influenza infection.

IANS