Chickens at five farms near the one recently hit by the bird flu virus in Ibaraki Prefecture showed signs they had also been infected with the disease, the agricultural ministry said Tuesday.

The five farms are located 500 to 600 meters from the area in Mitsukaido where a diluted strain of avian flu virus was confirmed. The birds at the five farms were found carrying the antibody to the disease, indicating the birds had been infected with the virus.

The exact type of virus has yet to be confirmed, officials also said.

Although health officials said there is no possibility of people becoming infected from eating the chicken meat and eggs from those farms, the avian flu-infected area could become larger than initially thought.

The ministry panel on poultry disease will study Wednesday the necessity of destroying the chickens raised at the five farms.

Government workers are in the process of culling 25,000 chickens at the infected farm in Mitsukaido.

After the emergence of avian flu was confirmed on Sunday, the Ibaraki prefectural government and other authorities conducted a series of tests at chicken farms within a 5-kilometer radius of the flu-hit farm. Transport of poultry, eggs and other items is banned within the 5-km range.

According to Ibaraki prefectural government and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, examiners first collected 10 to 20 samples from chickens at 10 of the 16 farms located within the restricted area, and conducted antibody and other examinations.

Positive antibody results were found in 20 to 70 percent of the samples collected from chickens at the five farms close to the flu-hit farm. However, no virus was detected.

Experts said there is a possibility that a very weak strain of avian flu spread throughout the area without the farm operators´ knowledge. But the strain was apparently too weak to kill the birds.

The farm ministry said there have been no reports about widespread deaths among chickens at the five farms.

However, the ministry has not confirmed if there has been a decrease in the egg-laying rate.

Samples were also taken at five other farms located 600 meters to 5 kilometers from the infected farm. The chickens tested negative for the antibody.

The agriculture ministry is also conducting tests on the six remaining farms in the restricted area.(IHT/Asahi: June 29,2005)