03.02.2011

The Miyazaki prefectural government began culling about 190,000 chickens because of avian influenza Wednesday at a poultry farm in Miyazaki City.

This is the seventh outbreak in southwestern Miyazaki Prefecture since January 22, and the 10th in Japan this winter, whereas the disease has hit one farm only each in Aichi, Shimane and Kagoshima prefectures.
The prefectural government imposed a ban on the transport of chickens and eggs within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm, covering part of the city of Miyakonojo, a leading chicken and egg producing area. A meat-processing plant was also shut down the same day, increasing to six out of 10 the number that have closed in the prefecture because of the epidemic.

The Miyazaki prefectural government has also confirmed avian influenza infections in the cities of Miyazaki, Nobeoka, Shintomi, Tsuno, Kawaminami and Takanabe, and culled a total of more than 500,000 chickens.

In Tottori Prefecture, meanwhile, officials said the highly virulent strain of the H5N1 virus was detected in two wild birds that tested positive for avian influenza in earlier tests.

The infection, involving a tufted duck and hooded gull found in a weakened state in Yonago last month, marks the second outbreak of a highly virulent strain of bird flu in Tottori this winter.

The Hokkaido government said detailed tests on a dead whooper swan recovered in the town of Hamanaka in mid-January were positive for the H5N1 virus, the sixth case of a wild bird infected with avian influenza in Hokkaido.