Japan facing avian bird flu pandemic

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Japan facing avian bird flu pandemic, 5th farm tests positive for virus

....Officials are concerned the pandemic could spread nationwide as a number of

wild birds have also been found infected with the virus, including Japan's

iconic hooded cranes who use a wintering place close to one of the infected

farms...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2011-01/26/c_13708422.htm

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Ninth case of bird flu confirmed

MIYAZAKI (Kyodo) The dead chickens at a poultry farm in the town of Takanabe in

Miyazaki Prefecture were killed by the deadly avian flu virus, local officials

confirmed early Monday as the epidemic continued to spread.

The results of detailed tests on the dead birds in Takanabe confirm the season's

sixth outbreak in the prefecture and the ninth in the country.

On Monday, the prefectural government started culling all 40,000 chickens at the

farm, adding it will also impose a ban on transporting chickens and eggs from

poultry farms within 10 km of it.

Some 90 chickens were found dead Sunday at the farm, and four out of the five

tested registered positive in preliminary bird flu tests.

More than 500,000 chickens have already been culled in the prefecture since Jan.

22 after infections struck the cities of Miyazaki and Nobeoka and the towns of

Shintomi, Tsuno and Kawaminami.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110201a8.html