CHIBA: An outbreak of avian influenza thought to be highly pathogenic has been confirmed at a duck farm in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, the agriculture ministry and the Chiba prefectural government said Thursday.

About 12,400 ducks for food will be culled, including 6,000 at the farm in the town of Yokoshibahikari and 6,300 chicks shipped from the farm to six prefectures including neighboring Ibaraki in the past week.

Subject to duck culling in the six prefectures are nine farms in Akabira in Hokkaido, Kakuda in Miyagi, Koga and Kasumigaura, both in Ibaraki, Gyoda and Kasukabe, both in Saitama, Matsubara in Osaka and Gose in Nara.

This is the first bird flu outbreak involving ducks this season, while a series of outbreaks have been confirmed for other birds across the country.

The Chiba government conducted an on-site inspection of the Yokoshibahikari farm after receiving a report on Wednesday morning that ducks there stopped laying eggs.

The prefectural government conducted simple tests and found positive cases. Genetic testing conducted later indicated that the virus is likely to be highly pathogenic.

JIJI Press