Japan starts capturing wild birds to check flu infection

Japanese Environment Ministry started capturing wild birds on Saturday in Tamba, central Japan’sKyoto Prefecture, as part of efforts to determine the infection route of a bird flu outbreak in the town late February.

Japanese Environment Ministry started capturing wild birds on Saturday in Tamba, central Japan’sKyoto Prefecture, as part of efforts to determine the infection route of a bird flu outbreak in the town late February. According to Kyodo News, the ministry plans to collect blood and droppings of the birds, including migratory fowl, for analysisat a local university. It will take about one week to finish collecting samples from the birds. Meanwhile, Kyoto Prefectural government is planning to bury over 4,700 tons of materials contaminated by the bird flu, including 265,000 dead chickens and their droppings, at two farms in Tamba. Under the national epidemic prevention manual, chickens infected with the bird flu as well as their eggs, droppings and feed are considered to be contaminated, and they must be buried orburned.(Source: Xinhuanet, March 2004)