A total of 84,000 chickens in Iwate, Japan, are being culled due to a severe bird flu outbreak, with the disease confirmed on a local farm and identified as a highly pathogenic strain. This is the 80th case of bird flu this season in the country, with over 15 million poultry killed across 25 out of 47 prefectures, marking a significant increase from the 2020-2021 season. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has imposed quarantine restrictions and export bans to contain the spread of the virus.