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The arrival of migratory birds in Japan is celebrated each winter, with some of the world’s largest over-wintering sites for waterfowl spread across this island nation. Japan is the home to 90% of the overwintering Hooded Cranes of the world, which are regarded (and often referred to as) `National Treasures’.
In 2010-11 we saw a near panic among officials when 5 Hooded Cranes Test Positive For H5N1 in Izumi.
As I discussed in Japan’s Bird Flu Dilemma, there are few options open to officials when a potentially deadly virus strikes a rare, and protected species of birds, other than quick containment and beefed up biosecurity on nearby farms. As did both Europe and North America, Japan saw introductions of HPAI H5 viruses via migratory birds last year.
In April of 2014 the H5N8 virus arrived in Japan for the first time, and was re-introduced several times last winter, resulting in several large poultry culls.
There remains the possibility of seeing one of the other recently emerged avian subtypes - H5N2, H5N6, H7N9 – someday arrive on the wings of migratory birds, as well. While their arrival is impossible to predict, the greatest threat time is considered to run from November through early May.
Accordingly, we’re seeing a number of local bird flu drills being held across the country. Typical of these drills is the one described below by NHK News. Click through to see the (Japanese language) newscast with footage from the drill.
The avian influenza assumed training
It celebrated the time when migratory birds are flying by assuming the occurrence of avian influenza and prevent the spread of infection training was held in Nihonmatsu.
This training, every year the season that migratory birds that could bring the virus of bird flu in the country is flying, the prefecture is open.
Training infection of avian influenza is carried out on the assumption that has been confirmed poultry farm managers and health center staff, besides the 90 people or so to meet such as police officers took part in a poultry farm in the prefecture.
Participants at the beginning, such as protective clothing and masks to prevent the infection to humans has confirmed the procedure to wear so that there is no gap.
Then is performed training to dispose of all the birds of poultry farms within 24 hours, it was injected gas to put in a box by one bird a model of chicken.
Also, in training to disinfect the area of car moving in the vicinity of poultry farms is limited, while taught the procedure from a veterinarian, it was missing the water that was likened to the disinfectant in the car.
Prefecture in the sometimes avian influenza virus has been confirmed from the carcasses of wild birds found in Koriyama and Fukushima City four years ago winter, the province has been urged to be careful in the coming season.
Osaki Jiro director of Kenkita Livestock Hygiene plant, "along with the advance sufficient measures so that the livestock is not infected, I want you to contact as soon as you find the corpse of a lot of wild birds" had been talking to.At 19:29 on November 19
