The prefectural government of Niigata said Tuesday that it has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in the city of Tainai.
It marks the third bird flu outbreak confirmed at a poultry farm in Japan this season.
A total of 630,000 egg-laying chickens at the Niigata farm will be culled.
According to the prefectural government, the farm reported abnormalities, including an increase in the number of chicken deaths, on Monday morning. A preliminary virus test returned positive results, and a detailed genetic analysis was conducted.
The first outbreak of the season was confirmed in the town of Shiraoi in Hokkaido on Oct. 22, followed by the second in the city of Eniwa, also in Hokkaido, on Sunday.
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