Japan culling more birds over avian flu

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan has mobilized its military to help with a second mass cull of 230,000 chickens amid a spreading outbreak of a highly contagious strain of avian flu, officials said.

The highly virulent H5 strain was found in chickens at a farm in Joetsu city in Niigata prefecture, the local government said in a statement late Wednesday.

It said that 2,100 people, including 1,020 members of the military, were being mobilised in the effort to kill the chickens and contain the virus.

The chicken slaughter began late Wednesday and was expected to continue until Sunday, the statement said. Authorities have also banned the transport of poultry and poultry products in areas close to the affected farm, while sterilizing main roads leading to them.