Officials of Niigata Prefecture said a poultry farm notified them on November 3 that 70 chickens had died there.

A sample examination showed that nine out of 10 birds tested positive, indicating the possibility of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Niigata Prefecture began culling the 630,000 birds raised at this farm on November 4.

It is the first confirmed bird flu case within Niigata Prefecture this season.

There have been no reports of human infection with avian influenza from consuming eggs or chicken meat.