Special report: Global fight against bird flu

    BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) -- A newly discovered H5N1 bird flu case in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has been contained, said sources with the Ministry of Agriculture here Friday.

    China reported the new bird flu case Wednesday after domestic poultry at a farm in Xinjiang's Hetian County were confirmed to have the H5N1 virus.

    Experts and veterinarians have disinfected the area and more than 17,100 poultry were culled to prevent possible new outbreaks.

    No new suspected case has been discovered near the infected area, said the ministry.

    Hetian County is on a flight path for migratory birds between east Africa and west Asia.

    The virus in Hetian County is similar to the one found in migratory birds in western Qinghai and Tibet earlier this year.

    It means that the virus in Xinjiang may also come from migratory birds, said the ministry, adding that Xinjiang is taking measures to prevent spread of the virus through migratory birds.

    More than 80 outbreaks of bird flu have been reported in China since February 2004, affecting 24 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Eighteen confirmed human cases with 12 fatalities have been reported since last September. Enditem