Local administration on Tuesday said more than 500,000 chickens would be culled in the Japanese region of Hokkaido due to a new bird flu outbreak.

The administration, in a statement, said that chicken deaths were registered at a poultry farm in the region on March 27.

”A quick test revealed the presence of influenza type A. The result of testing for the avian influenza virus came out positive on March 28. This is already the third bird flu outbreak in Hokkaido this season and the 82nd case nationwide. Up to 558,000 chickens will be culled this time,” said the statement.

It added, “Local authorities have introduced a quarantine on bird transportation within a three-kilometre (1.8 miles) radius and gave instructions to conduct disinfection works at the farm.’’

According to the statement, the number of chickens culled in Japan this season has already reached 16.5 million, an all-time high for the country.

Since October 28, bird flu has been detected in 26 out of 47 prefectures of the country, and the virus has caused the price of chicken eggs, already high amid inflation and soaring prices for food products, to spike to its peak.

(Sputnik/NAN)