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Bird flu detected in Japanese swans
// 29 Apr 2008
A strain of bird flu has been discovered in four wild swans in Japan. This
follows a boosting of surveilance following major outbreaks of the disease in
neighbouring South Korea.
The Japanese government announced that the birds, 3 of which had died, were
found on the shores of Lake Towada in Akita prefecture in the
north.
Inspectors detected the H5 strain of bird flu in the swans, but tests are still underway to determine if it is the highly virulent H5N1 strain.
Inspectors detected the H5 strain of bird flu in the swans, but tests are still underway to determine if it is the highly virulent H5N1 strain.
Authorities have patrolled the area but have not found any incidents of
large numbers of deaths or unnatural deaths in wild fowl.
There are no chicken farms within a 10 km radius of the area where the
swans were found, and no unusual incidents were noted at other farms.
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