Wildlife Disease Surveillance in Japan

Abstract

This paper mainly introduces the background of wildlife health issues, nation-wide surveillance system of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in wild birds and an ongoing activity related to wildlife diseases in Japan. From social and biological backgrounds, Japan had not enough incentives and situations to establish wildlife health surveillance system. However, it is important to establish the surveillance system in view of recent outbreak of HPAIV and other factors which might cause emerging and re-emerging diseases. In Japan, HPAIV H5N1 subtypes were detected from wild birds in 2004, 2007 and 2008. From these backgrounds, Ministry of the Environment Japan (MOEJ) made a manual of HPAIV surveillance in wild birds in 2008 and started the nation-wide surveillance collaborating with local governments, universities, research institutes, and other governmental agencies related to domestic animal health and public health. Although the nation-wide surveillance system is only for HPAIV, in May 2012, passive surveillance of wild birds' mortality events started by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). Using the framework of HPAIV surveillance system, the information of wild birds' mortality can be collected. In addition, the local governments can request the investigation for other cause of death except for Avian Influenza by sending these dead birds' samples to NIES. NIES has conducted the investigation and reported the results. At the beginning, to develop the wildlife health surveillance system, Japan needs to construct a database and networks related to wildlife diseases. This might be the first step to establish wildlife health surveillance system in Japan.