H5N1 case reported in north China

BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has reported a case of H5N1 bird flu virus, the Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday.

The case was discovered in a poultry farm in Tongliao on July 28. Some 35,000 chickens have been infected and 15,000 have died.

The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed the epidemic was H5N1 bird flu after testing samples collected from the farm, according to the MOA.

Local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where a total of 66,500 chickens have been culled and safely disposed, according to the ministry.

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a contagious disease which can be fatal to humans.