ISTANBUL

Japan’s eastern region of Ibaraki on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of “highly pathogenic” avian influenza at a poultry farm, marking the first case of the season in the area.

The outbreak at a farm in Shirosato will result in the culling of approximately 970,000 egg-laying hens, the largest such culling operation in Japan this season, according to Jiji Press.

This is the 10th confirmed bird flu case involving a poultry farm in Japan, bringing the total number of chickens to be culled to around 3.65 million.

During the 2022-2023 season, from fall to spring, Japan reported 84 bird flu cases across 26 prefectures. Around 17.71 million chickens were culled, setting a record high and causing a sharp jump in egg prices.

Egg prices continue to rise this season as well. On Thursday, local egg seller JA Z-Tamago reported the wholesale price for midsize eggs in the Tokyo area at 345 yen ($2,21) per kilogram, nearly matching the highest price of 350 yen ($2,24) seen in March-June 2023.