Health officials in Japan have confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in southwestern of the country after dead chickens were reported at a poultry farm. A genetic test detected the highly pathogenic H5 strain of the bird flu virus. 
About 130 chickens died at the farm in the town of Kijo in Miyazaki Prefecture. Officials checked live and dead chickens and four tested positive for the H5 strain of the virus. 
On Wednesday, officials started to cull about 168,000 chickens at the affected farm and a neighboring farm, Japan's broadcaster (NHK World) reported. 
They have ordered about 140 farms and processing facilities within a 10-kilometer radius not to transport chickens or eggs. 
Last month, prefectural officials slaughtered about 120,000 chickens at a farm in a nearby town after bird flu was detected there.

Source: QNA