June 12, 2006

China contains latest bird flu outbreak after cull
 

China's latest outbreak of bird flu, among domestic poultry at a farm in the far northwest, has been contained after a mass cull, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday (Jun 9).

After the outbreak in the Xinjiang region which was reported Wednesday, experts and veterinarians disinfected the farm and killed more than 17,100 birds to prevent the further spread of the virus, Xinhua said.

The report, which cited unidentified officials with the Ministry of Agriculture, said no new suspected cases had been discovered.

The virus, known as H5N1, has recurred in China over the past decade, and more than 30 outbreaks have been reported among domestic and migratory birds since October.

The strain has killed at least 128 people worldwide. Medical experts worry that the further the disease spreads among birds, the greater the chances are that the virus will mutate into a form more easily transmitted among humans.

The recent Xinjiang outbreak may have been caused by migratory birds, Xinhua said. The farm is in Hetian county, which lies on a flight path for migratory birds, and the strain of H5N1 is similar to the virus found among migratory birds to the south in Qinghai and Tibet, the report said.