VZCZCXRO1996
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #7106 3560334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220334Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9323
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9279
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8799
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1762
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2717
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0303
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8404
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 007106 
 
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 December 21 
 
REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 
¶B. TOKYO 6907 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  There were no significant avian influenza (AI) developments in 
Japan during the period December 07 to 21.  No human or animal 
outbreaks of H5N1 AI were reported in Japan during the above 
period. 
 
--Japan to Strengthen Monitoring of Migratory Birds- 
 
¶1.  On December 14, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) announced that 
neither H5 nor H7 viruses have been found in samples taken from 
migratory birds in its investigation conducted from September 
through November this year.  However, MOE will strengthen monitoring 
of migratory birds in response to the recent cases of H5N1 in Korea 
in November.  MOE planned to investigate migratory birds from China 
and the Korean Peninsula at 20 stations in Japan until March next 
year.  Seven stations have been added to the original plan. 
 
--Japan's 2007 Budget for Infectious Diseases to Increase-- 
 
¶2.  On December 20, the Ministry of Finance drafted Japan's budget 
for JFY2007.  The draft budget for countermeasures against 
infectious diseases, including avian influenza, has been increased 
to Yen 18.4 billion (USD153 million) from Yen 18.1 billion (USD 151 
million) in the previous year.  The draft will be submitted to the 
Diet in January after consulting with ministries, and finalized by 
March 2007. 
 
--Kurayoshi City Conducted a Drill-- 
 
¶3.  On December 8, the Kosei Hospital of Kurayoshi City, Tottori 
Prefecture, conducted a drill based on a hypothetical human case of 
avian influenza.  The Kosei Hospital will be designated next May as 
the sole hospital in the prefecture able to treat patients infected 
with the most dangerous category I viruses, such as Ebola and 
smallpox. The drill was based on a hypothetical scenario in which a 
hospital patient, who had recently returned from Thailand, was 
discovered to have symptoms of avian influenza.  In the drill, the 
patient was transferred in a closed capsule to the Kosei Hospital, 
where doctors wearing protective suits conducted examinations of the 
patient. 
 
DONOVAN