25.02.2011

Avian influenza infections in wild birds have spread to 13 prefectures from northern to southern Japan this winter.
The Environment Ministry says the infections continued to spread since the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain was found in wild duck droppings in Hokkaido in October of last year.
A wild falcon in Tochigi Prefecture, which was confirmed on Monday to have the virus, marked the first infection in the Kanto region near Tokyo.
Ministry officials say this winter a record 37 wild birds were confirmed to have the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus.