The number of chickens and other animals culled due to bird flu has already reached a record high this season, but a new outbreak was confirmed at a poultry farm in Fukuoka City, and the total number exceeded 15 million for the first time in a single season. I was.
The number of chickens slaughtered is 1.5 times higher than the previous season from 2020.
Bird flu is said to be brought in by migratory birds that winter in Japan, and it usually occurs from autumn to spring. After being identified at its earliest in the United States, outbreaks are continuing at an unprecedented pace.
On the 2nd, a new outbreak of bird flu was confirmed at a poultry farm in Fukuoka City, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the total number of chickens that will be disposed of this season is about 15.02 million.
Historically, the fall 2020-spring 2021 season had the highest number of culled birds, at approximately 9.87 million birds, but this season has already increased by 1.5 times.
In addition, it has been confirmed in 6 prefectures, including Yamagata and Okinawa, where no outbreaks have occurred so far, and the number of outbreaks is 77 in 25 prefectures, which is the highest number ever.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has called for thorough measures such as disinfection at poultry farms, saying that the risk of bird flu outbreaks is increasing nationwide.
Three strains of virus Spread to wild birds from an early stage
Avian influenza spreads when the virus is brought in by migratory birds, but this season, three strains of the virus were brought to various parts of the country from an early stage, and spread to wild birds inhabiting the area, which is unprecedented. It is believed that the outbreak is continuing at a pace.
The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, said that the bird flu that occurred at poultry farms this season was first confirmed from October 28 last year to January this year. We have analyzed the genes of 60 viruses detected by mid-March.
As a result, the viruses detected were all highly pathogenic "H5 type"
types
. ▽Although
it was detected
in Western Siberia and China two years ago,
it was found that a total of three strains of the virus had entered Japan.
Each virus has spread from Hokkaido/Tohoku to Kyushu/Okinawa since its outbreak in Japan this season, and in some areas multiple strains of the virus were found.
The three strains of the virus have also been detected in domestic wild birds other than migratory birds.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, even in wild birds, from September 25th to March 1st last year, 199 cases of infection with the "H5 type" virus, the highest number ever, were confirmed in large-billed crows and falcons. In addition to migratory birds, the spread of wild birds inhabiting the area is believed to be leading to outbreaks at an unprecedented pace.
Yuko Uchida, Group Leader of the Research Area of Zoonotic Diseases at NARO, said, ``The virus brought by migratory birds spread to wild birds in Japan, and the virus spread into the environment, increasing the chances of infection at poultry farms and other places. It is thought that this has led to a large-scale outbreak.It is thought that the virus will move north along with the migratory birds that have begun to return north, so further caution will be required in Hokkaido and Tohoku in the future. I would like you to continue to be vigilant, considering that there have been outbreaks up to the month of May."