Japan scrambles to contain bird flu outbreak

JAPAN – Following the detection of a bird flu virus at a poultry farm in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, the prefectural government and other relevant bodies were busy culling chickens or disinfecting chicken coops to contain the virus.

The highly pathogenic virus has been detected in cranes in Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, in a number of cases since November.

Under the circumstances, neighboring municipalities have become increasingly concerned and have raised the level of alert in their areas.

“We’ve been trying hard to control communicable disease. I’m very sorry about the situation. We hope to contain the virus as soon as possible,” Tetsuro Nakada, the chief of the prefectural government’s section for promoting the regeneration of animal husbandry, said at an emergency press conference that started at 3 a.m. Tuesday at the prefectural government’s building.

A total of about 80 officials from the prefectural government, the Nobeoka municipal government and other bodies arrived at a disused primary and middle school in a mountain area in the city by bus early Tuesday to cull and bury the chickens. After changing their clothes in the school’s gym, they headed for the poultry farm.

In a steady, cold rain, the culling started at 2:30 a.m. and finished after about seven hours.

“I’m sad when I think of farmers’ feelings. We definitely must contain the virus now,” said a 56-year-old official at JA Nobeoka who returned to the gym after culling work.

The official engaged in the same work in the wake of the 2011 bird flu outbreak in the city.

Poultry raising is a thriving industry in Miyazaki Prefecture. According to livestock statistics, the prefecture had about 28.18 million broilers as of February this year, the biggest number in Japan.

But bird flu broke out in 2007 and 2011 in Miyazaki Prefecture. In the latter case, the infection expanded to eight cities and towns, including the city of Nobeoka, leaving about 1.02 million broilers subject to culling and causing about 10 billion yen in economic losses.

Tetsuya Taniguchi, 55, president of Taniguchi Broiler, which feeds 43,000 broilers, expressed concern about a possible expansion of infection, saying: “We have been taking every possible measure to prevent our broilers from being infected with flu as there are many wild birds flying [into the prefecture] at this time of year … But it’s not surprising if the flu breaks out at any time and any place.”

The Kagoshima prefectural government, meanwhile, held an emergency meeting to discuss preventive measures Tuesday afternoon, a move that followed the detection of bird flu virus in a white-naped crane (manaduru) and a hooded crane (nabeduru) in the Izumi plain within the prefecture this season.

Such measures include thorough disinfection work around poultry farms and reconfirmation of a system to enable smooth communications even during the year-end and New Year period.

The Oita prefectural government conducted an on-the-spot inspection of a poultry farm in Saeki, which is located within a radius of three kilometres to 10 kilometres of the Nobeoka poultry where the spread of a highly pathogenic bird flu virus was confirmed Tuesday. It also decided to set up two disinfection points on a national road near the prefecture’s border with Miyazaki Prefecture.

RELATED STORY

Bird flu outbreak reported on British duck farm