Japan Culls 50,000 Chickens Amid Ongoing Bird Flu Outbreak
Japanese authorities began culling approximately 50,000 chickens on Sunday after a bird flu outbreak at a farm in the northern Iwate region, according to the agriculture ministry.
This marks Japan’s 19th bird flu outbreak this season. Authorities identified the outbreak after the farm reported a rise in bird deaths. Tests on Sunday confirmed that bird flu caused the deaths, the ministry said.
Following the outbreak, the Iwate regional government ordered the culling of 50,000 chickens. Additionally, movement restrictions were imposed on 170,000 birds at two nearby farms within a three-kilometre (1.86-mile) radius.
Moreover, 3.8 million birds within a 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) radius of the infected farm must remain confined for the time being.
Just days earlier, bird flu was confirmed at another farm in Iwate and at a facility in the central Aichi region. As a result, authorities culled 120,000 birds in Iwate and 147,000 birds in Aichi. On December 29, another outbreak in eastern Ibaraki led to the culling of 1.08 million birds.
About The Author
