Photo: AFP
This is the 20th outbreak of avian influenza at a poultry farm nationwide this season and the first confirmed case in Iwate.
At the affected farm, about 560,000 egg-laying hens will be culled to prevent further spread of the virus.
According to the prefectural government, the farm reported to a livestock hygiene service center on Friday morning that an unusual increase in bird deaths had been observed.
A simple test returned to positive results, and subsequent genetic examinations later confirmed the infection.
