New bird flu cases reported in Xinjiang
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-01 19:21

China has confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in poultry in its far northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Three hundred poultry which died in a village in Xinyuan county in Xinjiang on November 24 were confirmed to have H5N1, the Ministry of Agriculture said on its Web site.

Local authorities culled 118,153 poultry within three kilometers (two miles) of the affected area to contain spread, the ministry said.

China's health minister said on Wednesday officials have reported 30 outbreaks of the avian flu virus in poultry this year in 11 regions and provinces.

China has also confirmed three cases of bird-to-human infections, two of whom have died. There have been no reports of human-to-human infections, the development health experts are watching out for fearing a potential pandemic.

China, the world's biggest poultry-producing nation, has culled more than 20 million birds this year to contain the spread of avian influenza and announced plans to vaccinate billions of birds.

The H5N1 strain is known to have infected 133 people in Asia since late 2003, killing 68 of them.