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Report
No.240503 |
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- International - |
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Japan Strengthens Guard against Avian Influenza from Korea In the wake of outbreak of avian flu in Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) convened, on November 27, an urgent meeting of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Infection Countermeasures Headquarters and decided on taking water's edge infiltration preventive measures as well as stronger domestic quarantine measures. The domestic measures are centered on prevention of wild birds to intrude into chicken sheds, sterilization of gates of farms, and early reporting of abnormality upon its finding etc. Mr. Toshikatsu Matsuoka, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries stated his resolve saying "It is necessary to take all possible measures to prevent (the flu) from making inroads into our country." Already on November 25, the government of the Republic of Korea announced that the virus of bird flu was identified as a highly pathogenic strain, H5N1 sub-type. In the wake of the flu outbreak in Korea, Japan has triggered import ban on poultry meat etc. from Korea on November 24, is disinfecting shoe soles of travelers and vehicles from Korea, and has asked the prefecture governors to make thorough implementation of quarantine measures. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Infection Countermeasures Headquarters meeting at this time made a renewed decision to thoroughly implement afresh hygiene controls such as prevention of wild birds to intrude into chicken sheds, to keep import ban on poultry meat until such time as when the cleanliness is confirmed and to be stringent on disinfecting shoe soles of travelers and vehicles from Korea. Also the prefectures have been notified once again to make thorough implementation of domestic quarantine measures like sterilization of farms etc. In the meantime, MAFF, on November 29, revealed its intention to revise the guidelines of quarantine before the end of the year, which should serve as the basic policy for countermeasures against the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The revision will be centered on newly erecting prevention measures against the spread of flu of the type of low pathogen. The new guideline will allow eggs and birds to be shipped out of farms, rather than have them slaughtered, from which antibody was detected in so far as no virus was discovered. |
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