ISTANBUL 

Japan on Wednesday reported this season’s first “highly” pathogenic avian influenza case at a poultry farm in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, Jiji Press reported.

At the farm located in the town of Shiraoi, where the case was found, the local government began killing and disposing of some 459,000 laying hens.

The Hokkaido government also prohibited the transportation of 620,000 hens at four poultry farms within 10 kilometers (nearly 6.2 miles) from the infected farm.

In Tokyo, the central government assembled a meeting of related ministers on Wednesday to ensure close coordination among government agencies to deal with the situation.

"This is the sixth consecutive season of an outbreak. Every season, (this disease) goes into full swing from around this time," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.

Before the meeting, Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki told his ministry's disease control headquarters, "We're in a situation in which further infection cases may happen anywhere in the country."