Mild strain of bird flu virus detected in waterfowl droppings in western Japan
TOKYO: A mild form of bird flu has been detected in waterfowl droppings at a lake in western Japan, but there were no reports of the virus at nearby poultry farms, an official said Thursday.
The H5N2 virus, detected in waterfowl droppings in Fukui prefecture (state), is a less virulent strain and is not known to be harmful to humans, said prefectural government official Masaki Shimizu.
Fukui is about 323 kilometers (200 miles) west of Tokyo.
Shimizu said there were no reports of the virus infecting local poultry farms around the lake.
The H5N2 strain was detected from among three samples of waterfowl droppings collected between Nov. 4 and Dec. 14 at the lake, by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shimizu said.
The institute has been conducting a survey of waterfowl droppings around the country to see the possibility that migratory birds might have brought a bird flu virus from other parts of Asia.
Earlier this year, Japanese authorities culled tens of thousands of chickens in western Japan following four outbreaks of bird flu. Japan has confirmed only one human H5N1 infection, and no human deaths.
Avian influenza story link: AP