Bird flu cases rise in Japan; 1.44 million birds to be culled.

Outbreaks of avian influenza confirmed in Aichi and Chiba prefectures, leading to the culling of 1.44 million birds.

So here’s the scoop: in Aichi, there are serious avian flu outbreaks at three chicken farms and one quail farm. Two chicken farms are in Handa, one in Tokoname, and the quail farm’s in Agui. Tokoname's already been battling this since the start of the year, with about 680,000 birds culled so far.

Meanwhile, Chiba's not sitting pretty either—they’ve got three chicken farms in Choshi and Asahi facing similar troubles, with a grim total of around 1.44 million birds set to be destroyed. The agriculture ministry's stepping in, forming a task force and headquarters to coordinate efforts between Aichi and Chiba to stomp out this bird flu situation. Minister Taku Eto's calling for everyone to come together, tackle the outbreaks, and keep poultry farming safe.

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