Japan confirms new bird flu outbreak at poultry farm in Hokkaido

Japan has confirmed a fresh outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Hokkaido, marking the region’s fourth case and the 21st nationwide outbreak during the current season.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the affected poultry farm is located in the town of Abira and houses around 190,000 chickens.Authorities stated the farm reported suspected symptoms among birds on Wednesday, prompting a rapid avian influenza test that returned a positive result the same day. The infection was later confirmed through genetic testing on Thursday.To contain the spread of the virus, officials have ordered the culling of all chickens at the facility. The carcasses will be incinerated and buried in line with established disease control protocols.
Japan’s avian influenza season typically runs from autumn through the following spring, a period when outbreaks among poultry and wild birds are more frequently reported.According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza Influenza A (H5N1) primarily infects birds but can occasionally spread to mammals, including humans in rare cases.The virus lineage known as goose/Guangdong H5N1 first emerged in 1996 and has since triggered repeated outbreaks in bird populations worldwide. Since 2020, a variant belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has caused large-scale deaths among wild birds and poultry across Africa, Asia and Europe.The virus later spread to North America in 2021 and to Central and South America in 2022, making it one of the most widespread avian influenza outbreaks recorded globally.
Human infections remain rare, though they can lead to severe illness with a high fatality rate. Most cases have been linked to close contact with infected birds, animals or contaminated environments.Health experts note that the virus does not spread easily between humans, and sustained human-to-human transmission has not been reported so far. However, the WHO continues to monitor the situation closely, noting that the reported fatality rate among human infections since 2003 has exceeded 50 per cent, underscoring the seriousness of the disease.