The Ministry of Agriculture Thursday received a report from the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory confirming the previously suspected outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in eastern Anhui Province and Jiangxi Province.

The confirmed bird flu cases were found in Guangde County, Yushan District of Ma'anshan City, Jieshou City and Yingzhou District of Fuyang City in Anhui Province and Guixi City in Jiangxi Province.

Also reported were new suspected bird flu cases -- in Dongxiang County in Jiangxi Province, Shilin County in Yunnan Province, Luoding City and Haifeng County in south China's Guangdong Province.

The local governments of the above-mentioned areas immediately took quarantine measures and submitted samples to the National Bird Flu Reference Laboratory. The epidemic has been brought under control in these areas and no human infections have been found so far, according to ministry sources.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2004)