28.12.2004

Information received on 28 December 2004 from Dr Masako Kurimoto, Director of Animal Health and Animal Products Safety Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo:
Date of the report: 27 December 2004.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical and laboratory (haemagglutination inhibition test, virus isolation).
Location of the outbreak: Fukuoka prefecture (in the southern part of the country).
Description of affected population: chickens in a commercial farm.
Number of animals in the outbreak: approximately 100,000.
Number of deaths: 2,551.
Laboratory where diagnosis was made: Fukuoka chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Source of agent / origin of infection: unknown.
Control measures: on-site investigations have been made on commercial farms within a 3-km radius from the infected farm and on the breeding farm where infected chickens were born; quarantine; the infected and suspected chickens will be destroyed; the infected farm will be disinfected (OIE).