March 4, 2004

Japan To Step Up Bird Flu Fight

Following confirmation of Japan's third bird flu outbreak at a large poultry farm in Tanba, Kyoto Prefecture, 400 kilometres south-west of Tokyo, authorities have stepped up measures in the fight against bird flu.

Officials said a 120-strong Japanese army taskforce has been called in to help disinfect the area hit by the bird flu outbreak. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also plans to summon officials of all prefectures on Thursday and tell them to join hands to fight the disease.

So far, only Okinawa and seven prefectures in Kyushu, western Japan, have been sharing information on the bird flu outbreak, a poll has found.

After the bird flu outbreak was first detected in Western Japan, officials in Okinawa and seven prefectures in Kyushu organized a meeting of health officials on Feb. 12 and agreed to exchange information.

The flu hit Oita Prefecture in Kyushu a few days later, and neighboring Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures were informed of the second outbreak even before national government officials announced it on Feb. 17.

Their quick response came in sharp contrast to the third case of the avian flu that broke out in Kyoto Prefecture.

Officials of the prefecture only talked about countermeasures with their colleagues in the neighboring prefectures of Osaka, Hyogo and Fukui after the third case was confirmed.

The Agriculture Ministry has decided to order large-scale poultry farmers to report the number of chicken deaths every week until bird flu is completely contained.