VZCZCXRO5925
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #0489/01 0330741
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020741Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0302
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9746
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 9189
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2210
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 3218
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0747
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8425
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000489 
 
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 02 
 
REF: A. 05 STATE 153802 
¶B. TOKYO 353 AND PREVIOUS 
 
TOKYO 00000489  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  No human outbreaks of H5N1 AI were reported in Japan during the 
period from January 25 to February 02. 
 
-- MHLW drafts guidelines for pandemic influenza -- 
 
¶2.  On January 19, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) 
submitted to an advisory panel draft guidelines on measures to be 
taken in the event of an outbreak of pandemic influenza (PI) that 
can be transmitted from human to human.   The guidelines cover 12 
areas: 1) immediate response strategies at the early stage of a PI 
outbreak, 2) epidemiological studies, 3)quarantines, 4) 
countermeasures for companies, 5) countermeasures for households, 
communities and local governments, 6) cremations and burials, 7) 
surveillance studies, 8) medical systems, 9) countermeasures to 
prevent infection at medical institutions, 10) diagnostic 
examinations at medical institutions, 11) vaccinations and 
anti-viral drugs, and 12) risk communications.  The advisory panel's 
report was released for public comment on January 31 and is due to 
be finalized by the end of March. 
 
¶3.  The MHLW guidelines instruct local governments to respond 
quickly to quarantine those infected by PI and to inoculate with 
anti-viral drugs and restrict the movement of family members and 
coworkers. Within 72 hours, local governments should decide whether 
to restrict movement to affected areas, in coordination with the 
central government.  The guidelines concede that blocking off 
affected areas may not always be possible, especially in large 
cities. 
 
¶4.  Companies will be requested to take preemptive measures to limit 
the spread of PI.  Examples of these measures include setting up 
specialized sections to address the issue and improving their 
telecommuting systems.  In the event of a PI outbreak, companies 
will be urged to avoid unnecessary meetings, employ 
teleconferencing, and consider evacuation of employees working in 
affected countries.  Households will be asked to be prepared by 
stocking enough food for two weeks and to avoid leaving home in the 
event of an outbreak.  Local governments will be requested to 
prepare food for individuals who are not allowed or unable to leave 
their homes. 
 
 
-- Third Suspected AI Outbreak in Miyazaki - 
 
¶5.  On January 30, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries (MAFF) and the Miyazaki Prefectural Government announced 
that an avian influenza (AI) outbreak is suspected at a poultry farm 
in the town of Shimtomi, Miyazaki Prefecture.  This follows two 
confirmed cases of AI in Miyazaki Prefecture and one in Okayama 
Prefecture earlier this month. As of February 1, 316 chickens were 
reported to have died on the farm.  A preliminary test on 13 
chickens indicated that seven were positive for avian influenza.  On 
February 1, MAFF confirmed that the virus was the H5 type.  However, 
the National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH) in Tsukuba is 
continuing to investigate the specific strain of the virus.  The 
Miyazaki government has restricted movement of chickens and eggs at 
100 farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm, and has 
begun culling the remaining 93,000 chickens. 
 
-- AI Outbreak in Okayama Confirmed to be H5N1-- 
 
¶6.  On January 31, MAFF announced that the H5N1 strain of avian 
influenza was detected in samples taken from dead chickens at a farm 
in Takahashi City of Okayama Prefecture in western Japan.  The 
outbreak in Okayama was Japan's third this year involving the H5N1 
strain.  The farm has already been sterilized and the remaining 
12,000 chickens have been culled.  The Okayama Government tested 
chickens at 18 other farms located within 10-kilometers of the 
affected farm, but no new AI cases were discovered. 
 
-- AI Outbreak in Hyuga, Miyazaki Update -- 
 
¶7.  On January 27, MAFF confirmed that the avian influenza outbreak 
 
TOKYO 00000489  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
in the town of Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture, initially reported on 
January 23, was caused by the H5N1 virus. The Miyazaki Government is 
investigating 11 other poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of 
the affected farm.  The Ministry of Environment has begun an 
investigation into the source of the virus by examining wild birds. 
 
 
SCHIEFFER