Bird flu confirmed at chicken farm in western Japan

January 12, 2018

Tokyo- An outbreak of avian influenza has been confirmed at a chicken farm in the city of Sanuki in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.

A highly pathogenic H5 bird flu virus was detected in dead poultry at the farm, according to the ministry.

The Kagawa prefectural government started to destroy a total of some 92,000 chickens, including 52,000 at the farm.

This is the first confirmed case of avian flu in domestic poultry in Japan this winter. It is the first time ever that bird flu has been confirmed at a poultry farm in the Shikoku region, comprising Kagawa and three other prefectures.

At the Sanuki farm, 55 chickens were found dead on Wednesday morning.

The prefecture conducted a simple test on 11 of the dead chickens the same day, and three of them tested positive for avian flu.

A genetic test implemented later on Wednesday failed to confirm infection. The H5 virus was detected in a fresh genetic test carried out Thursday.

Following the confirmation, the prefecture banned the transfers of chickens and eggs from farms in areas near the affected farm.

This winter, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in wild birds in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, but had not been found at any poultry farm in the country.

On Thursday night, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the agriculture ministry and other relevant central government organizations to take appropriate measures to prevent any spread of the outbreak.

The government will discuss responses at a meeting of relevant ministers Friday morning.

Holding a meeting also on Thursday night, a Kagawa Prefecture task force headed by Keizo Hamada, governor of the prefecture, confirmed that measures to contain the outbreak will be implemented quickly.

In Japan, there have been no reports of human bird flu infection through the consumption of poultry or eggs. Jiji Press