February 15, 2011

Japan's Aichi reports new bird flu outbreak

Chickens raised at a poultry farm in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture, were confirmed infected with avian flu, marking the second bird flu case in the prefecture this winter, prefectural government officials said Monday (Feb 14).

The local government officials said the chickens tested positive in genetic examination, which detected the H5 virus of the highly infectious avian flu.

The local government will cull all the about 17,500 chickens, including 3,400 of the region's specialty brand name Nagoya Cochin, at the farm and ban transportation of some 900,000 chickens at around 16 farms within a radius of 10 kilometres.

The officials said the farm in Shinshiro reported early Monday (Feb 14) morning that about 20 chickens had died and four of five dead chickens tested positive in a preliminary test.

The officials earlier said the 20 dead chickens included Nagoya Cochins but later said no Nagoya Cochin was among the dead chickens.

The first case of bird flu in Aichi Prefecture this winter was discovered in the neighbouring city of Toyohashi in January.