On the 27th, chickens were found dead one after another at a poultry farm in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, and a simple test revealed that they were suspected of being infected with avian influenza.
According to Okayama Prefecture, this is the first time in Japan that avian influenza has been suspected at a poultry farm this season.
According to Okayama Prefecture, around 1:30 pm on the 27th, a poultry farm in Kurashiki City contacted us that "chickens are dying differently than usual."
A simple test for avian influenza was performed on 13 chickens that were dead or weakened, and positive reactions were confirmed from 12 chickens.
About 170,000 chickens are raised at this poultry farm, so Okayama Prefecture is requesting that this poultry farm refrain from moving chickens and restrict the entry of outsiders.
At the same time, genetic tests are being conducted, and detailed results are expected to be available around 7:00 am on the 28th.
According to Okayama Prefecture, this is the first time in Japan that avian influenza has been suspected at a poultry farm this season.
Also, if the genetic test determines that it is bird flu, it will be the first outbreak in two years at a poultry farm in Okayama Prefecture.
Expert “Possibility of becoming an inexperienced number as the epidemic period becomes longer”
Professor Yoshihiro Sakoda of Hokkaido University, who is familiar with bird flu, commented on the first case of suspected bird flu at a poultry farm this season, saying, ``I think that the first wave of migratory birds from Siberia brought the virus to Japan. There is a risk that the outbreak will occur at an earlier time than ever before, prolonging the epidemic period, and the number of outbreaks at poultry farms will be unprecedented."
On top of that, ``Migratory birds fly over the Sea of Japan overnight from the continent, and there is a risk that the virus will be carried anywhere in Japan. We need to continue our efforts, and we need to have all prefectures on high alert."