Beijing - Chinese experts have confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in ducks in the southern province of Guangdong, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. The national avian influenza laboratory confirmed the presence of a sub-type of the H5N1 virus in ducks that had died since September 5 at farms close to the provincial capital, Guangzhou, the ministry said on its website.
Workers had culled 36,130 ducks in two areas of Guangzhou's Panyu district to prevent the spread of bird flu.
No further deaths of birds were reported in the area and experts believed the outbreak had been effectively controlled, it said.
Experts have long warned that the virus might be more widespread in China, where dozens of outbreaks of H5N1 have been reported in poultry.
The World Health Organisation last week warned China and other Asian nations against complacency.
"Despite efforts to control outbreaks, H5N1 has become deeply rooted in domestic birds, making it difficult to control the spread of the virus," WHO said.
China has reported 25 human infections with the H5N1 strain of bird flu since 2003. Sixteen of those people have died.
