The agriculture ministry of Japan announced on Wednesday that the country has detected its first outbreak of bird flu for the 2021 winter season, with confirmation of a case of ‘highly pathogenic avian influenza’ at a poultry farm in the northeast region.
The ministry said in a statement on its website that about 143,000 egg-laying chickens are being culled at the farm in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, and that restricted zones have been established up to 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the site.
Following the outbreak, Japan has temporarily halted exports of chicken meat and eggs from all regions.
As the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the number of people infected with bird flu in China this year is causing concern among epidemiological experts.
According to the World Health Organization, China has reported 21 infections in humans with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza, with six people dying and many others critically ill, in 2021, compared to only five last year.
Bird flu outbreaks have also been reported in Europe in recent days, with farms in Poland being the most recent, with 650,000 chickens infected.
Last winter, Japan experienced its worst winter flu season on farms to date, with 9.87 million chickens culled and more than a third of the country’s prefectures affected.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Japan has an egg-laying flock of around 181 million hens and a broiler population of 140 million.
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