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Meanwhile, in Japan, their avian flu woes continue with another farm – this time in Okayama – testing positive for the highly pathogenic H5 (and likely H5N8) virus. Roughly 200,000 birds will be culled over the next few days – far more than all three earlier outbreaks this winter combined (see Japan: H5 Confirmed in Miyazaki Poultry – Testing In Yamaguchi).
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First, the notification on Japan’s MAFF website (note: translated), followed by a report from Xinhua News.
For confirmation of suspected affected animals of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Okayama Prefecture
January 15, 2015, in poultry farm in Okayama Prefecture, are suspected of highly pathogenic avian influenza, which is a livestock epidemic has been confirmed. We ask everyone to how the livestock officials, including the poultry breeding farmers, we ask that I am absolutely sure to early detection of thorough and abnormal poultry of again feeding and health management.
Related notification
- Strengthening of monitoring system due to the confirmation of suspected affected animals of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Okayama Prefecture (January 16, 2015 with) (PDF: 70KB)
- For dissemination of correct knowledge of highly pathogenic avian influenza (January 15, 2015 with) (PDF: 851KB)
Press release
- For confirmation of suspected affected animals of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Okayama Prefecture
- Abe domestic business trip of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Deputy Minister
- For highly pathogenic confirmation of cases that avian influenza is suspected and held "the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries avian influenza epidemic prevention headquarters" in Okayama Prefecture
Japan's Okayama starts culling 200,000 chickens after bird flu confirmed
(Xinhua) 13:31, January 16, 2015
OSAKA, Jan. 16-- A cull of some 200,000 chickens began on Friday at a farm in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, following confirmation of a highly pathogenic H5 strain of bird flu virus, local media reported.
The cull is expected to take four days, with roughly 50,000 birds killed each day. The dead birds will be incinerated.
The case was reported to the local livestock health center by the farm on Thursday morning, after 28 of its birds were found dead beginning on Wednesday.
Four of the dead chickens and one living one tested positive, and a further genetic test confirmed the virus.
The prefectural government has imposed a ban on the movement of chickens and eggs at six farms within a 3-km radius of the farm.
Fifteen other farms in a 10-km radius have been ordered not to ship their products. The 21 farms raise nearly one million birds all together.
This is the fourth avian influenza case detected in Japan this winter. The previous three cases, two in southwestern prefecture Miyazaki and one in western prefecture Yamaguchi, have resulted in the killing of chickens ranging from 4,000 to 42,000 per instance.
Okayama is the fourth largest chicken egg producing prefecture in Japan, with around 10 million chickens.
