Dead crows in Kyoto test positive for bird flu

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 08, 2004

Dead crows in Kyoto test positive for bird flu

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Two dead crows tested positive for bird flu in Kyoto Prefecture, where outbreaks of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza have been confirmed, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said Sunday.

It is the first time in Japan that the virus has been detected in wild birds.

Experts said it is highly likely that the crows were infected with the virus near the chicken farms in the town of Tamba hit by the bird flu outbreak, adding they do not believe the crows transmitted the virus to the chickens.

The dead crows were found at Funai farm in Tamba and neighboring Sonobe town on Friday, together with two other crows, ministry officials said.

The crows tested negative in an initial examination, but further tests found two of the four were infected with the virus, they said.

They said the National Institute of Animal Health will examine if the crows were infected with the H5 strain that has caused the bird flu outbreak in Kyoto Prefecture, while the Kyoto prefectural government will check if more wild birds are infected with the virus.

Meanwhile, some 660 Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops on Sunday joined cleanup work at two chicken farms in Tamba.

The GSDF's 3rd division is based in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, and oversees Kyoto Prefecture. It has had 160 troops working at Funai farm, run by Asada Nosan Co., and Takada farm, operated by a local farmer, since Thursday.

The force upped the deployment to 820 to help dig pits to bury the chickens at the request of the Kyoto prefectural government.

The two farms had a combined 270,000 chickens before the outbreak of bird flu, which reemerged for the first time in 79 years in Japan in January.

Source: Agencies

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