TOKYO, Aug. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- A case of bird flu was suspected in east Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, Nihon Keizai reported Thursday.

    According to the Japanese economic daily, the prefecture announced Wednesday that the blood serum of some chickens in a local hennery tested positive for a bird flu virus and the National Institute of Animal Health in Ibaraki Prefecture is now conducting confirmation tests.

    The Fukushima prefectural government is now taking emergency efforts to sterilize the hennery facility and restrict transporting chickens in affected area to other places, the newspapers said.

    Japan reported an outbreak of bird flu, the first in the country since 1925, in Yamaguchi Prefecture last December. Enditem