The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture said Thursday a suspected case of the deadly strain of H5NI bird flu was reported in Shaoguan City of Guangdong Province, south China.

Jia Youling, the ministry's general director of stockbreeding and spokesman for bird flu control, said the ministry was informed of the suspected case Thursday.

The local government has culled poultry in the affected area and taken prompt quarantine measures, and the epidemic is under control there, according to Jia.

No human infections have been found so far.

(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2004)