Guangzou (China), Sep 15 (Xinhua) China's southern city of Guangzhou has reported large scale deaths of ducks in a village as a result of a suspected bird flu outbreak, according to information posted on the website of the Chinese ministry of agriculture.On Sep 5, farmers in Sixian village in the Panyu district of Guangzhou started to report deaths of their ducks, and by Sep 13 about 9,000 ducks were reported dead, website said.Samples of dead ducks were sent to the provincial animal disease prevention and control centre, and initial lab tests showed the samples were positive with the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus.Samples have been also sent to the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory and the results are yet to be announced.Local veterinary authorities have culled about 32,000 ducks as of Sep 14, report said.
(c) Indo-Asian News Service
