A strain of Bird Flu was found in Japan at a chicken farm. Although the stain is not the H5N1 which can cross over to people Japan is not taking this lightly. Japan is well prepared to take care of the issue. Over 800 chickens have already died at a farm in Mitsikaido, which is North of Tokyo. The strain in this farm was the H5N2 strain and seems to indicate the serious nature of the Bird Flu. The H5N2 strain is not likely to infect or harm people but it does kill birds of nearly any kind. This strain can have risk of human infection, but it is not probable that it will kill folks. The H5N1 killed 54 people in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. The CDC is worried because American Airlines now goes to Vietnam and could bring back unknown humans with the flu into the United States. Bird flu last year in Japan caused over 300,000 chickens to be exterminated. There was one human case of bird flu in Japan last December but no one has died of Bird Flu in Japan in decades. Still no one is taking this lightly. There has been a fast response and definite plan in Japan; the kind of reaction you might find from our own CDC here in the United States on such matters. Bird Flu is a serious issue and the World Health Organization and First World Countries throughout the world are taking notice. |
