SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- New cases of bird flu broke out in South Korean Thursday, the first outbreak of the deadly poultry disease in the Asian country in 10 days, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

    Ducks at two farms in Asan City, South Chungcheong Province, some 80 kilometers south to Seoul, were found infected with the avian influenza, the authorities said, adding that the farms are only 8 kilometers away from the one hit by the disease on Jan. 26.

    The fresh cases in the central region of South Korea brought to 18 the total number of infected farms.

    Officials were quoted by Yonhap as saying that they confirmed the new bird flu infections after closely examining the ducks which recently laid fewer eggs.

    The poultry disease was first detected at a chicken farm in North Chungcheong Province in central South Korea on Dec. 15, 2003.

    South Korea has since slaughtered over 2 million chickens and other fowl to stem the spread of the highly contagious disease.

    Local quarantine officials have repeatedly issued warnings of a possible recurrence of the disease, citing falling egg-laying rates of chickens and ducks at some farms nearby one of farms hit first by the virus.

    There have been no signs that humans were infected with the disease in South Korea. None of the more than 1,500 people believed to have been exposed to the flu tested positive, health officials said. Enditem