A worker yesterday disinfects a vehicle before it leaves Panyu in southern Guangdong Province. (Photo: Shanghai Daily)

China's Ministry of Agriculture on Monday confirmed a bird flu outbreak in South China's Guangzhou, which began with the mass deaths of ducks on September 5.

The outbreak was confirmed as a sub-type of H5N1 bird flu by the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory, according to the ministry.

It said 36,130 ducks had been culled as of September 17, after farmers in Sixian Village and Xinzao Township in the Panyu district of Guangzhou reported the deaths of their ducks on September 5.

The agriculture ministry and the Guangdong provincial government immediately implemented an emergency plan to deal with the outbreak and the ministry said the outbreak has been brought under control.

It also said no further deaths of fowl have been reported in the Panyu district or nearby areas.

The last reported case of H5N1 bird flu in China occurred on May 19 at Shijiping Village in Yiyang city of Hunan Province, which killed more than 11,000 poultry with another 52,800 birds culled.

China has reported a total of 25 human cases of bird flu since 2003, which have resulted in 16 deaths.

(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2007)