The Japanese government on Thursday said an avian flu outbreak has been detected at a poultry farm in Kagawa prefecture, leading to the culling of thousands of chickens.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kotaro Nogami informed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of the outbreak on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The farm in Mitoyo city reported that a total of 3,800 chickens had died between Sunday and Wednesday and a detailed examination confirmed that the virus was likely to be the highly pathogenic H5 strain, Japan NHK public broadcaster said in a news report.
Kagawa Governor Hamada Keizo said on Thursday that immediate measures will be taken to prevent the virus from spreading and has begun the process of culling roughly 330,000 chickens at the farm.
He has also planned to request the dispatch of Self-Defense Force personnel for assistance.
