Overview
- Saitama Prefecture said genetic testing returned positive at a poultry farm in Arashiyama Town and has begun culling about 240,000 laying hens.
- The cull is expected to be completed by January 7, according to the prefecture’s timeline.
- Authorities restricted movements and shipments within 10 kilometers of the Saitama farm, covering roughly 508,000 birds at nearby operations.
- Hokkaido separately reported a suspected case at a Yuni Town farm with about 6,300 hens after a rapid test was positive, with PCR confirmation pending.
- Hokkaido imposed movement and shipment limits within 10 kilometers affecting about 17,000 birds, as this winter’s wave has already produced multiple large culls in other prefectures.