Cablegate: Avian Influenza: Japan Weekly Report July 21

VZCZCXRO7475
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #4089 2021109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211109Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4566
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 7323
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 7187
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9915
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0629
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8458
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8291
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 004089

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK
DEPT FOR EAP/J
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI JA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT JULY 21

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802
B. TOKYO 3953 AND PREVIOUS
C. 05 TOKYO 3018

1. The following is an update on avian influenza (AI)
developments in Japan during the period July 14 to 21. No
human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza were
reported in Japan during the above period.

2. The University of Tokyo's Institute of Medical Sciences
has begun collaborative work on infectious diseases with
two research institutes in China. The Chinese Academy of
Science's Institute of Biophysics (Beijing) and the Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin Veterinary Research
Institute will cooperate with researchers from the
University of Tokyo on emerging infectious diseases such as
avian influenza and AIDS. In addition, the Japanese and
Chinese researchers plan to work closely together when
outbreaks of previously unknown diseases such as SARS are
detected. The cooperation will be conducted under the
auspices of MEXT's Infectious Diseases Research Network
program. (For further details see ref C).

3. The University of Tokyo will establish a joint research
facility at the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of
Microbiology. Future plans also include a joint research
laboratory at the Institute of Biophysics. Several
Japanese researchers will be based at the two facilities,
and the Japanese side will provide most of the equipment.
The researchers hope to develop a relationship of trust
that will allow the two countries to further develop joint
cooperative research.

4. On July 17, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (MAFF) announced that it has lifted all remaining
import bans on French chicken products that were imposed on
February 24 due to outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in
France.

SCHIEFFER

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