About 3 900 chickens died on a farm in the Miyazaki prefecture (state) over the weekend. More than 8 000 birds were then slaughtered in an attempt to control the outbreak and all the dead birds were incinerated, Agence France Presse reported.

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"The examination conducted at the National Institute of Animal Health confirmed that the bird flu virus detected in Miyazaki prefecture was the H5N1 strain," said a statement from the agriculture ministry.

Eleven other poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm have been banned from shipping any chickens or eggs, AFP reported. Hong Kong has banned all poultry imports from Japan.

No human infections have been reported in this latest outbreak in Japan.

Since it first appeared in 2003, the H5N1 virus has killed more about 160 people worldwide. Most of those human infections have been the result of direct contact with infected birds. However, experts fear that the virus may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans. – (HealthDayNews)

January 2007
 

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