Cablegate: Avian Influenza: Japan Weekly Report November 22

VZCZCXRO6056
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #6689 3260809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220809Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8571
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8914
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8509
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1407
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2330
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9956
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8395
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 006689

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK
DEPT FOR EAP/J
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI JA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT November 22

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802
B. TOKYO 6098 AND PREVIOUS

1. There were no significant avian influenza (AI)
developments in Japan during the period October 19 to
November 22. No human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 AI were
reported in Japan during the above period.

-- Importation of US Chickens to Stop --

2. On November 16, in response to the recent cases of
avian influenza H5N2 in the State of New York, the Ministry
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced a
ban on the importation of poultry meat and guts from the
state. MAFF has requested the USG to provide more detailed
information on the outbreak.

-- MHLW's study denied the linkage between Tamiflu and
abnormal behavior --

3. On November 15, Japanese media responded to the Food
and Drug Administration's (FDA) call for an updated warning
label for the flu drug Tamiflu. The FDA's announcement was
in response to reports from Japan of delirium,
hallucinations, and other unusual psychiatric behavior in
children taking Tamiflu. In Japan, Tamiflu's warning
labels are required to note the risk of abnormal behavior.
However, a study group of the Ministry of Health, Labor and
Welfare (MHLW) reported that there is no link between
children's intake of Tamiflu and abnormal behavior. The
team led by Professor Shunpei Yokota of Yokohama city
University conducted a survey covering 2846 cases of
children who were infected with influenza in JFY2006. 11.9
percent of the cases that took Tamiflu showed abnormal
behavior and 10.6 percent of the cases that did not take
Tamiflu showed abnormal behavior. The team concluded that
there was no statistically significant result. Professor
Yokota commented that further studies should be done to
determine the linkage between Tamiflu and abnormal
behavior. Professor Yokota will continue the research for
JFY2007.

SCHIEFFER

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