Japan confirms bird flu outbreak at poultry farm in Kyoto Prefecture
Japan’s first poultry-farm bird flu case this season will bring transport restrictions for 300,000 chickens at seven nearby farms.
- A highly pathogenic bird flu outbreak, Japan's first of the season, has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture.
- Approximately 200,000 laying hens at the affected farm are scheduled to be culled to prevent the spread of the virus.
- As a containment measure, a transport ban has been placed on 300,000 chickens at seven other farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the infected site.
- The Japanese government has pledged to implement thorough measures to prevent a wider spread and has urged all farms to ensure early detection and strict hygiene management.
Egg prices in Japan could climb further before the year-end period of high demand if the country’s first poultry-farm bird flu outbreak of the season spreads.
About 200,000 laying hens are to be culled at the affected farm in Kyoto Prefecture.
At 312 yen for a pack of 10, the average egg price in October was the highest recorded in the agriculture ministry’s food price trend survey, which began in August 2003.
“We’ll thoroughly implement measures to prevent a spread (of bird flu) so as not to affect supply and demand,” Agriculture Minister Arata Takebe pledged.
A meeting convened by the central government at the prime minister’s office brought together the relevant ministers.
“We’ll take all possible measures with a sense of urgency, in close cooperation with related ministries and agencies, as well as prefectural governments,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.
The affected farm is in Kameoka, western Japan.
Kyoto’s prefectural government announced on Thursday (November 12) that highly pathogenic avian influenza had been confirmed there.
Genetic testing confirmed avian flu after a preliminary test returned a positive result on Wednesday.
The farm had alerted the prefecture’s Nantan Livestock Hygiene Center earlier that day because more chickens were dying.
The transport ban will cover 300,000 chickens at seven farms within 10 kilometres of the infected site.
Culling is among the disease prevention measures that Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki instructed the prefectural government to launch immediately.
“We’ll make efforts to provide prompt and accurate information so that producers and consumers are not confused by groundless rumours,” Nishiwaki said.
The agriculture ministry’s disease control headquarters met separately to review culling and disinfection procedures.
Takebe later told reporters that an outbreak was possible anywhere in Japan.
“We ask each farm to carry out early detection, ensure early notification and implement thorough hygiene management,” he urged.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
