JAPAN, Tokio. A third outbreak in as many days of bird flu in Japan, has provoked the culling of several thousand farmed birds in the north of the nation. This was reported by the New Food Magazine.
The World Organisation for Animal Health had warned in an interview with Reuters mid-November that more outbreaks of H5N8 were likely in Europe as wild birds believed to transmit the virus migrate southward. Recently outbreaks have been detected in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Romania and Germany. Following this, Dutch authorities destroyed about 190,000 ducks on Saturday at six farms following a bird flu outbreak.
“The news about bird flu is affecting these shares, but these moves tend to be short-lived,” said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Asset Management. The halt to egg production in affected areas could have a significant economic impact.
Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto stated to reporters that his ministry is sending expertise into areas for investigation, while concurrently raising caution to its highest level. The Agricultural Ministry has also sent in an investigative team.