Sixteen people in Ibaraki prefecture, eastern Japan, may have been
infected with the less virulent H5N2 strain of avian influenza, Kyodo News
reported yesterday, citing test results.
The number of people having been suspected of H5N2 infections in Japan thus
rose to 93. Several outbreaks of H5N2 strain occurred in poultry farms around
the region last year.
Antibody tests by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases suggest that
none of the 16 people developed any symptoms, and there is no danger of
infecting other people, local government said.
In Ibaraki prefecture, 40 poultry farms were found with the H5N2 virus and
5.7 million chickens were culled as a result.
