Cablegate: Avian Influenza: Japan Weekly Report February 15

VZCZCXRO9832
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #0689 0470811
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160811Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0743
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9882
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9313
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2339
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3361
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0861
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8431
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 000689

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA COMELLA
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 FEBRUARY 15

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802

B. TOKYO 597 AND PREVIOUS

1. No human outbreaks of H5N1 AI were reported in Japan during the
period from February 08 to 15.

-- Update on AI outbreaks in Miyazaki and Okayama --

2. On February 14, a team of experts on avian influenza reported
that all four recent outbreaks of avian influenza in Miyazaki and
Okayama Prefectures were caused by a strain of the H5N1 viruses
nearly identical to that found in the outbreaks in Chinghai, China
2005 and in South Korea 2006. The results of DNA analysis conducted
by the National Institute of Animal Health indicated that the
viruses were highly homologous. The team of experts suspects that
migratory birds were involved in spreading the virus to Japan from
China and South Korea. However, in order to identify the infection
route, the team said that they need further information from China
and South Korea as well as the results of an investigation of wild
bird migration conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Environment.
The team also indicated that it was possible for wild birds and
other wild animals, such as rats, to carry the virus from farm to
farm.

SCHIEFFER

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