BEIJING: China has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu in Horgos in the far western Xinjiang region.

The outbreak killed 1,015 out of 2,545 birds raised by farmers in Horgos, according to a notice on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs late on Friday.

Authorities culled 11,910 birds in the area to control the spread of the disease. The notice did not specify the type of poultry involved.

China is the world’s Number 2 poultry consumer. It has reported several outbreaks of highly pathogenic bird flu in recent months.