A new outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza has been confirmed in China's northern region of Inner Mongolia, the agriculture ministry said on Saturday, according to dpa. The latest bird flu outbreak is the 23rd in China since October. Experts confirmed H5N1 bird flu after 246 birds died in Inner Mongolia's Zalantun city last Sunday, the ministry said. Local veterinary workers have culled 16,567 birds at poultry farms within 3 kilometres of the affected area, it said. China has reported three confirmed human infections with bird flu. World Health Organization experts plan to travel next week to the eastern province of Anhui, where two women died after contact with infected poultry. Health ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an on Friday said China was making "timely reports" to WHO on the bird flu outbreaks and had "immediately released the information to the public".
