Japan fights to contain the worst bird flu outbreak
A quarter of Japan administrative map is affected by a bird flu outbreak which is considered to be the worst ever recorded in the country. 3 million birds have been culled in the last two months, the latest event being reported last week in the city of Sukumo, in the prefecture of Kochi in southeastern Japan. About 32,000 birds were slaughtered and buried after the discovery of bird flu at an egg farm, the country's Ministry of Agriculture said.
More contaminated birds were found at two farms in Kagawa Prefecture, where the epidemic began last month. Since then, almost 30,000 birds have been sacrificed there, according to the ministry.
Although the ministry claims that people cannot be infected with avian "influenza" by eating infected poultry eggs or meat, health officials around the world are concerned that the virus will "jump" to humans, causing a pandemic like the new coronavirus.
The outbreak in Japan and neighbouring South Korea is one of two different avian influenza epidemics that have hit birds around the world, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and Japanese authorities.
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