Japan : Kagoshima crane died of highly virulent H5N1

Via The Japan Times :

" KAGOSHIMA (Kyodo) : The Environment Ministry said Wednesday the highly infectious H5N1 strain of avian influenza found in a hooded crane in Izumi plain, Kagoshima Prefecture, was confirmed to be very lethal, a day after the prefectural government detected the flu in the bird's carcass.

The DNA structure of the virus was quite similar to the strains found in the droppings of a wild duck in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, in October, and in a weakened young tundra swan found at a residence in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, in November, according to the ministry.

Earlier Wednesday, experts from the government checked local poultry farms.

Of about 160 farms within a 10-km radius of the Izumi plain, which sees the nation's largest winter congregation of cranes, some 50 have already been confirmed free of infection by a team of roughly 40 experts, officials said.

Kagoshima was top among the 47 prefectures in the production of broiler chickens in 2009 — worth about ¥50.5 billion — and third in eggs at ¥24.6 billion, according to data at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry."