The outbreak was found on Monday at a farm with about 11,000 egg-laying chickens in Izumi City in Kagoshima prefecture in southwestern Japan, the ministry stated in a press release on its web site.
It comes as a number of outbreaks of extreme bird flu in Europe and Asia have been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health in latest days, in an indication the virus is spreading shortly once more.
“The NA subtype of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was identified and it was confirmed to be H5N8 subtype,” the ministry stated.
The enhance in the variety of folks round the world getting contaminated from bird flu this 12 months is changing into a supply of concern for epidemiological specialists, particularly as the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza in 2021 to the World Health Organization, in contrast with solely 5 final 12 months, it stated, with six lifeless and plenty of of the others critically sick.
In February, Russia registered the first case of the H5N8 strain being handed to people from birds and reported the matter to the WHO. There was no signal at the time of transmission between people.
Japan briefly suspended exports of rooster meat and eggs from all areas earlier this month after reporting the first outbreak, although the ministry has stated the consumption of these objects, if contaminated, pose no danger to people.
Last winter, Japan had its worst season of winter flu on farms but, with virtually 10 million chickens culled and greater than a third of the nation’s prefectures affected.
Japan has an egg-laying flock of round 181 million hens and a broiler inhabitants of 140 million, in line with the ministry of agriculture.
Anti-viral remedies will be efficient towards the bird flu however there is no such thing as a vaccine for people, in line with the web site of Britain’s National Health Service.
(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
Discussion about this post