February 19, 2008

China confirms bird flu outbreak in Tibet

Chinese authorities confirmed Tuesday (February 19, 2008) the second bird flu outbreak in Tibet this year, a day after reporting a 22-year-old man in central China died from the virus.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the Tibet outbreak, which started Feb. 6 in a village on the outskirts of the regional capital of Lhasa, killed 132 poultry and led to the culling of an additional 7,968 birds.

Laboratory results over the weekend confirmed it was the H5N1 virus, a statement on the ministry's website said. Emergency measures have brought the outbreak under "control," the ministry said.

It was the second time this year an outbreak was detected in the Himalayan region. Last month, a poultry farm in southwestern Tibet was quarantined after bird flu killed 1,000 birds.