China reports H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Hunan province
Chickens at a livestock market before the market was asked to stop trading to prevent bird flu transmission, in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, Feb. 22, 2017. Reuters
By Park Si-soo
China has reported an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 bird flu at a farm in Shaoyang city in the southern province of Hunan.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Saturday it occurred on a farm with 7,850 chickens, 4,500 of which have died of the disease.
Authorities culled 17,828 poultry following the outbreak, according to Reuters.
The H5N1 type of bird flu virus is known to infect humans and cause serious symptoms.
Last year, an outbreak of the same strain was reported at a poultry farm in northeastern Liaoning Province.
A man infected with the virus reportedly died in the inland province of Sichuan in 2015.