Kyoto, Nov. 12 (Jiji Press)--An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a chicken farm in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, the prefectural government announced Thursday, marking the first bird flu case at a poultry farm in the country this season.
The prefecture will cull about 200,000 egg-laying chickens at the farm and prohibit the transportation of 300,000 chickens from seven nearby farms within a 10-kilometer radius.
On Wednesday, the prefecture's Nantan Livestock Hygiene Center was informed by the Kameoka farm of an increase in the number of dead chickens. A simple test conducted the same day came back positive for avian flu, which was later confirmed by genetic testing.
Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki instructed the prefectural government to immediately implement epidemic prevention measures, such as culling.
"We'll make efforts to provide prompt and accurate information so that producers and consumers are not confused by groundless rumors," Nishiwaki said.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]