The H7 bird flu virus has been detected at a quail farm in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the prefectural government and the farm ministry said Feb. 27, according to an article on www.JapanTimes.co.jp.
As the infected quails have not died, the virus "may be of attenuated virulence," the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the local government said, suggesting it is unlikely the infection will spread further.
The farm halted quail shipments Feb. 25 while authorities investigate the infection route, as well as sterilize the farm and kill the quails.
"[The discovery of the H7 virus] will cause a lot of trouble for farmers, so I want to treat this problem seriously," said Motohiko Kondo, senior vice minister at the farm ministry.