Japan steps up efforts to control bird flu

In this file photo dated November 29, 2016, health officials investigate a chicken farm in Sekikawa village in Niigata prefecture, northern Japan, after a highly contagious avian flu strain was detected in poultry. YUKIE NISHIZAWA TOKYO - Japan's agriculture ministry urged poultry farms and local governments to step up efforts to prevent further outbreaks of bird flu, as the infectious disease spreads rapidly across the country.

A total of 27 cases of avian flu were confirmed in 16 prefectures on Wednesday, leading to the culling of over 4 million chickens, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

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Bird flu cases in Japan are rising faster than two years ago when a record number of chickens were culled since the season's first bird flu case was reported at the end of October.

Agriculture Minister Tetsuro Nomura told a ministry meeting that containing infections is important as more people travel around the New Year holidays, urging relevant parties to take preventive measures under the assumption that anywhere around chicken houses is contaminated.

There were many cases in which basic sanitation measures were not taken at chicken farms, where flu cases were detected, and municipalities and livestock farmers were asked to fully disinfect their facilities and take other hygiene measures.