March 13, 2026

 

Hokkaido, Japan, hit by fourth HPAI case in current season

 

 

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a poultry farm in Hokkaido, marking the prefecture's fourth case and the 21st outbreak nationwide this season.

 

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the affected poultry farm is located in the town of Abira and houses around 190,000 chickens.

 

Local authorities were alerted by the farm on Wednesday after birds showed suspected symptoms. A rapid avian influenza test conducted the same day returned a positive result, which was later confirmed through genetic testing on Thursday.

 

To prevent further spread of the virus, authorities have ordered that all chickens at the farm be culled, after which the carcasses will be incinerated and buried in accordance with disease control protocols.

 

Japan's avian influenza season usually runs from autumn to the following spring, when outbreaks among poultry and wild birds are more commonly reported.

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), avian influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of influenza virus that primarily infects birds but can also affect mammals, including humans in rare cases.

 

The virus lineage known as goose/Guangdong H5N1 first emerged in 1996 and has since caused repeated outbreaks in birds. Since 2020, a variant belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has led to large-scale deaths among wild birds and poultry across Africa, Asia and Europe.

 

The virus spread to North America in 2021 and later to Central and South America in 2022, making it one of the most widespread avian influenza outbreaks recorded globally.

 

Human infections remain rare, but when they occur they can cause severe illness with a high fatality rate. Most human cases have been linked to close contact with infected birds, animals, or contaminated environments.

 

Health experts note that the virus does not transmit easily between humans, and sustained human-to-human transmission has not been reported so far.

 

However, the WHO continues to monitor the situation closely, as the reported fatality rate among human cases since 2003 has exceeded 50 per cent, making it a serious global health concern.

 

-IANS