Lumpy skin disease found in dairy cattle for 1st time in Japan

Nov 19 (NHK) - Infections of lumpy skin disease have been confirmed among dairy cattle in Fukuoka Prefecture, western Japan, for the first time in the country.

The prefecture says the viral disease has been detected at eight farms in Itoshima City since November 6.

The prefecture said on Monday it will provide free-of-charge and compulsory vaccination to cattle raised within a 20-kilometers radius of the eight farms from Thursday through the end of March.

The symptoms of the disease include lumps and swelling on the skin, fever and a decrease in milk production. The virus is carried by mosquitos, flies and other blood-feeding insects. The infection has been spreading in Asia since 2019.

Prefectural officials say lumpy skin disease does not infect humans or affect people's health even if they eat the meat of vaccinated cattle or drink their milk.

They are calling for the isolation of cattle suspected of being infected with the virus and refraining from shipping them. They are also urging farmers to take thorough hygiene control measures.

Southern Kyushu Enters Rainy Season Earlier Than Okinawa for First Time in 49 Years

Southern Kyushu has entered the rainy season, marking the first time in 49 years that it has done so earlier than Okinawa. It is also the earliest rainy season start for any region in Japan since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records. Authorities are warning of heavy rainfall not only in Kyushu but across other parts of the country as well.

Saitama Road Collapse Recovery to Take 5-7 Years

A road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture is expected to take five to seven years to fully restore, local officials said on Friday, following the recovery of a truck cab that had remained lodged in the sewer system since the January accident.

Eighty Years On, Okinawa Remembers the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill

Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II, yet the memories of its fiercest battles continue to echo in the heart of Okinawa. The district of Omoromachi in central Naha, now a lively urban hub filled with people, was once the site of one of the bloodiest clashes of the Battle of Okinawa—the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill.

Aoi Festival Kicks Off in Kyoto

The Aoi Festival, one of Kyoto’s three major traditional festivals, began on May 15th with a vibrant procession of around 500 people dressed in elegant Heian-period garments making their way through the streets of the ancient capital.

Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japanese Team Finds Black Holes Shoot Gas Like Bullets, Not Wind

A research paper co-authored by a lecturer at Fukuoka University of Education has been published in the British scientific journal Nature, detailing a groundbreaking discovery about supermassive black holes.

Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

Major Ocean Shift 'Kuroshio' Brings Changes to Weather

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced has that the Kuroshio Large Meander, a phenomenon that has lasted for 7 years and 9 months, is expected to come to an end. The agency is urging people to stay updated, noting that changes in the Kuroshio Current may affect both fish species and fishing grounds.