February 1, 2021

Poultry farms in Japan with bird flu outbreaks had wildlife control faults

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said 90% of poultry farms in the country with bird flu outbreaks had wildlife control faults that allowed wild birds and other animals to enter chicken coops, The Japan Times reported.

The ministry said these farms have defects like holes in the coop walls and roofs, after the ministry's survey team investigated 27 of out 30 farms affected by bird flu.

As for the three remaining farms, no visible defects or damage was found but there were indications of rodents entering those farms and potentially infecting the feed.

They said 19 farms did not have sufficient disinfection measures.

Japan has detected bird flu in 39 farms so far this season, with 6.2 million birds culled in total.

Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation said birds infected with this latest highly pathogenic strain of bird flu survive longer compared to previous strains, which results in the virus spreading more widely before farmers can detect the early infection signs. 

Makoto Ozawa, Kagoshima University associate professor of veterinary medicine, said the latest bird flu strain is more difficult to prevent, and is difficult for farmers to handle themselves.

- The Japan Times