The key facts

  • A dead wild goose was found on October 27 in Kurihara (Miyagi Prefecture); the preliminary test for the avian influenza virus was positive
  • Final confirmation of highly pathogenic influenza is possible only after a genetic test
  • A priority wild bird monitoring zone has been established within a 10 km radius of the site of the find

First signal of the season

Japan has reported the first potential case of avian influenza of the current season. As reported by Jiji Press, citing the country's environment ministry, a dead wild goose found on Tuesday in the city of Kurihara in the northeast of Miyagi Prefecture tested positive in a preliminary test for the avian influenza virus.

What has not yet been confirmed and what measures have been taken

The case will become the first of the season among wild birds in Japan only if a genetic test confirms that it is highly pathogenic avian influenza — until then, it is too early to draw conclusions. Nevertheless, the ministry has already taken organizational measures: an area within a radius of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the site where the bird was found has been designated as a priority wild bird monitoring zone. Thus, at this point, what has been confirmed is the very fact of the virus's detection in the preliminary test and the expansion of surveillance, while the final characterization of the strain remains the subject of the expected genetic testing.