Credit Wikipedia
# 8487
Last Sunday, in Japan: Detection Of H5 Avian Flu At Poultry Farm, we looked at the first reported outbreak of avian influenza in Japan since 2011. At the time, the culprit was only identified as an HPAI H5 virus, and I said it would be a few days before we would know if it were H5N1, H5N2, or the recently emerged (in Korea) H5N8 strain.
Today (h/t Crof) we learn from a report in the Japan Times, that the virus has now been identified as H5N8. First a link to the report, then I’ll return with a bit more on this emerging subtype.
Kumamoto bird flu strain ID’d as H5N8, new to Japan
Kyodo
Apr 17, 2014
The avian influenza found in chickens in Kumamoto Prefecture has been identified as the H5N8 virus, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said it found H5N8 in samples from birds at a farm in Kumamoto where a surge in chicken deaths set off the culling Sunday and Monday of some 112,000 birds.
This is the first discovery of the H5N8 virus in Japan. Cases of suspected H5N8 bird infections have been reported since January in South Korea.
Ever since the Highly pathogenic H5N8 first emerged in South Korea last January, Japan’s MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries ) has kept a close watch on that outbreak, and has ramped up surveillance across Japan. The reason for local concern being the same migratory birds that likely brought the virus to South Korea also over-winter in Japan.
Although previously seen in other parts of the world in a low pathogenic form (see CIDRAP 2008 Low-pathogenic avian flu hits Idaho game farm), at least one detection of H5N8 in an HPAI form was previously recorded in China back in 2009-10 (see Characterization of three H5N5 and one H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in China).
Despite intensive containment measures, disinfection and culling of farms, and the halting of poultry product transport, the virus has continued to spread across much of the South Korean Peninsula over the past 90 days.
Authorities are hoping that the return of warmer weather will aid in their eradication of the virus. As the MAFF graphic below indicates, the virus has spread widely across the South Korean peninsula.
Now, with today’s announcement, we’ll have to see if Japan’s head’s up from Korea’s experience will help them to quickly corral the virus.
