The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday confirmed a previously suspected outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Chao'an County in south China's Guangdong Province.

The confirmation was based on tests from the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory.

The Chao'an County government has been taking measures including fowl slaughter and compulsory immunization to prevent the spread of the outbreak, which is now under control.

In addition, the ministry on Tuesday also declared seven more areas where outbreaks of suspected bird flu cases have been found.

They are Lanzhou City and Jingyuan County in northwest China's Gansu Province, Fuyang and Jieshou cities in east China's Anhui Province, Pingjiang County in central China's Hunan Province, Xiangfan City in central China's Hubei Province and Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

As soon as the suspected cases were spotted, local governments began slaughtering chickens and implementing compulsory quarantine measures. Samples have been sent to the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory. No person has been reported to have contracted the disease.

Special task forces have been sent from the Ministry of Agriculture to help local governments implement quarantine measures and contain the spread of the epidemic.

Latest situations have been reported to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, some black swans died unusually in a wild zoo in Shenzhen, Guangdong's boomtown neighboring Hong Kong and some specialists have arrived there to make investigations.

Before the latest outbreak, bird flu had been confirmed in Long'an County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wugang City of Hunan Province and Wuxue City of Hubei Province. 

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2004)