# 1939
Although the exact strain of bird flu has not been determined, another dead swan has turned up, and tested positive for bird flu in Japan. This time on the Noskuke Peninsula in Eastern Hokkaido.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Dead swan in Hokkaido tests positive for bird flu
Kyodo News
A dead swan found in the Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido has tested positive for bird flu virus, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.
Hokkaido University will test it further to determine if the virus is highly pathogenic. The swan was found April 24.
Earlier Thursday, the ministry began testing wild swans, geese and ducks for bird flu in Hokkaido, Akita and Aomori prefectures. The action follows the discovery of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in three of four swans found dead or dying near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture on April 21.
The ministry plans to collect droppings from 20 to 100 birds at test spots around lakes and rivers for several days to see if they contain avian influenza.
