
MATSUYAMA, Ehime Pref.: Japan has confirmed this season’s 10th avian influenza outbreak at a chicken farm, according to an announcement by the Ehime prefectural government Friday.
The outbreak, the first for the western Japan prefecture, happened at a chicken farm in Saijo, the Ehime government said, adding that the bird flu virus was a highly pathogenic strain.
The prefectural government will cull some 140,000 birds raised at the farm and ban the movement of chickens and eggs out of the 10-kilometer radius of the facility.
According to the prefecture, a local livestock health center Thursday received a report of an increase in dead chickens at the farm. Infections were confirmed through genetic testing after simple testing found positive cases.
JIJI Press