TOKYO —
Japan on Thursday urged renewed vigilance against a spread of H7N9 bird flu after Taiwan reported a case of the deadly strain, the world’s first outside mainland China.
Japan is anticipating an influx of Chinese tourists during the two long weekends which are part of Golden Week. The foreign ministry also reissued a travel advisory to Japanese citizens planning to visit China or Taiwan, warning them to stay away from bird farms and wear masks in crowded areas.
Reviving a SARS-era precaution, Japan has been checking inbound travelers with body temperature monitors.
“We are taking every possible measure just in case,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday.
Taiwan urged its residents to take “enhanced precautions” when visiting China—placing Shanghai, Beijing and five Chinese provinces on particular alert for travelers after at least 22 deaths were confirmed there.
Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed on Wednesday that a 53-year-old Taiwanese man, who had been working in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, showed symptoms three days after returning home via Shanghai on April 9.
The man, who was infected in China, has been hospitalised since April 16 and is in a serious but stable condition, it said.
There have been 108 confirmed cases of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza in China, including the 22 deaths, figures from Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization show.
The WHO maintained its global advisory for combating the bird flu, urging against contact with live poultry but not recommending any restrictions against travel http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-on-alert-after-h7n9-bird-flu-spreads-to-taiwan
