The avian influenza that struck a chicken farm in Kumamoto Prefecture was the first outbreak in Japan in three years and came as authorities were already on high alert about migrant birds after reports of the disease hitting South Korea since the beginning of this year.

As officials worked to contain the virus, however, lessons appear to have been learned from the last outbreak, which caused widespread damage, mostly in western Japan.

The farm in the town of Taragi first reported suspected infections at 3:30 p.m. Saturday to the prefecture's Jonan domestic animal health center. The farm reported an unusually large number of chickens dying in one of its poultry sheds.