The government said Tuesday it will step up its monitoring of the first outbreak of avian flu in Japan since 1925 to determine its source and prevent it from spreading through poultry farms and to people.
The World Health Organization's Western Pacific office meanwhile announced that three people have died in Vietnam from bird flu since the end of last year.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will watch for reports of Japanese suspected of having contracted the virus and establish an inspection system. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has set up a countermeasures headquarters.