A highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was confirmed Saturday at a poultry farm in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, prompting authorities to begin culling approximately 560,000 laying hens. This marks the 20th outbreak of avian influenza this season nationwide and the first confirmed case in Iwate Prefecture, according to local media reports citing the prefectural government.
The farm in Kanegasaki town reported an unusual increase in poultry deaths to a local livestock hygiene service center on Friday morning. Initial tests came back positive, and subsequent genetic examinations confirmed the presence of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, authorities stated.
In response to the outbreak, officials have initiated the slaughter of the 560,000 hens at the affected farm to prevent further spread of the virus. A movement restriction has as well been imposed on poultry within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm, impacting approximately 3.8 million birds. Movement of birds from two other farms within a 3-kilometer radius has been prohibited.
The confirmation of this latest outbreak comes amid a broader surge in avian influenza cases across Japan. Earlier this week, farms in Iwate and Aichi prefectures also reported outbreaks, triggering the culling of 120,000 and 147,000 birds respectively. In late December, an outbreak in Ibaraki Prefecture led to the culling of over one million birds.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan has already culled nearly 3 million birds this season, exceeding the 2.9 million birds culled during the 2024-2025 period, which saw 170 outbreaks affecting 3,756 domestic birds and 222 wild birds. The current season’s outbreak numbers are rapidly approaching the record set during the 2022-2023 season, when 4.63 million birds were culled in January alone. In January 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture reported a total of 39 outbreaks across 14 prefectures, resulting in the culling or planned culling of 6.93 million birds. That same month, Agriculture Minister Etō Taku described the situation as “unusual,” urging prompt reporting of any abnormalities in poultry populations, citing delays in reporting as a factor in the disease’s rapid spread.
The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the first outbreak of avian influenza in 2026 occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, marking the 13th outbreak of the season.
