March 5, 2004

 

 

Kyoto Farm Quarantined In Bid To Contain Bird Flu

 

The area surrounding the poultry farm in Tanbacho, Kyoto Prefecture, where new cases of bird flu have been discovered, was sealed off with tape by prefectural officials Thursday.

 

Police officers inspected passing vehicles and the prefectural government began checking vehicles at two checkpoints set up on the road leading to the farm as part of attempts to control the spread of the infection.

 

In a measure that inconvenienced people living in the neighborhood, the prefectural government cordoned off some roads altogether.

 

Meanwhile, eight municipal officials began disinfecting chickens and pet birds in 60 locations, including houses and the farm.

 

Eight students, who live in the cordoned-off area, were accompanied by their parents and teachers to the public Tanba Hikari Primary School, located near the farm.

 

Several police officers in front of the southern entrance of the public Komono Middle School, also close to Takada Farm, asked students to use the main entrance, where three male teachers watched over them.

 

At an emergency assembly of students Thursday morning, Principal Yoshihiro Katayama, 55, said there had not been any reports of human infection of bird flu, and called on students to remain calm. He urged them to take care to wash their hands and to gargle antiseptic.

 

Tsuyoshi Kimura, 42, owner of Mizuho Farm in Mizuho, which neighbors Takada farm, said the bird flu would deal a blow to the poultry industry.

 

"The danger is closing in on my farm. Any farm can be infected by bird flu. I hope the government will help us," he said.

 

A committee of experts set up by the Kyoto prefectural government to discuss ways to investigate the route of infection visited Funai Farm and the Takada farm Thursday and indicated it was possible the bird flu infection at the Takada farm originated at Funai Farm.

 

The committee is headed by Prof. Jiro Imanishi of the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

 

At Funai Farm, more than 1,000 chickens a day had died since Feb. 20, with about 2,300 dying on Feb. 25 and about 7,000 dying on Feb. 26.

 

The committee suspects the virus infection at the farm reached its peak around that time and then spread via wild birds, humans or vehicles.

 

Committee members inspected piles of chicken droppings in each of the 10 chicken coops at Funai Farm. The volume of the droppings at the farm amounts to more than 13,000 cubic meters.

 

If moved, the droppings may scatter and spread the bird flu virus.