The bird flu path is shaping up. They said it would get to Japan then the migratory birds would fly to Alaska and then through Canada. Then finally down to California and possibly spread to the east coast of the US.

Source: Japan Times

The avian influenza that broke out last week at a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture involved a highly virulent virus, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said Thursday.

The National Institute of Animal Health, which identified the virus as the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain on Tuesday, drew the conclusion after eight chickens inoculated with the sampled virus were dead by Thursday, the ministry said.

Based in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, the institute will continue genetic analysis for the consideration of the ministry’s panel of experts.

The H5N1 strain, a subtype of the influenza A virus circulating basically in birds, has spread mainly in Asia and has killed more than 160 people in 10 countries since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.

France appears to be the latest European country affected by the the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.

A wild duck, which was found dead last week near the central-eastern town of Joyeux, yesterday proved positive for the H5 strain and “bore strong similarities to the H5N1 Asian influenza”, the French agriculture ministry said.

Samples from the dead bird have been sent to the EU’s Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge, England for further tests, but officials expect the worst.

The Netherlands has joined France in putting forward plans to vaccinate poultry, with officials considering proposals to inoculate up to six million birds. However, scientists are divided over the effectiveness of vaccination and officials worry that other countries might use inoculation as a pretext to ban European poultry imports.

….The H5N1 virus has already been found in Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Germany. Earlier this week, France extended its ban on keeping poultry outside to the whole of the country. The Government intends to have 14 million human vaccination kits ready by the end of the year.

Source: The New Zealand Herald

–More Bird Flu spreading to India and Iraq. I have added Bird Flu as its own category at this point.