A new bird flu outbreak has been identified in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to a statement yesterday posted by the Ministry of Agriculture on its website.

The outbreak occurred on July 14 in a community in Xinjiang's Aksu City, and the H5N1 virus was found in the samples of the dead poultry by the national bird flu laboratory, said the ministry.

The H5N1 strain of avian flu had killed 3,045 chickens, and another 356,976 head had been culled in an emergency response.

The local agricultural department has quarantined the infected area. The outbreak is now under control, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2006)