An outbreak of bird flu has been identified in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).

The national avian influenza laboratory confirmed that the H5N1 virus was found in samples of the dead poultry in Xincheng village, Baotou City.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu had killed 985 chickens. Another 8,990 chickens had been culled to control the outbreak.

The local agricultural department had quarantined the infected area. and the outbreak was under control, the ministry said.

The last outbreak of bird flu in poultry was in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan Province, in August.

The MOA said 1,805 ducks were killed by the disease and another 217,000 were culled.

The quarantine of the region was lifted on September 6, after no new cases were reported for 21 consecutive days.

China has reported nine outbreaks of bird flu in poultry this year, in northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, North China's Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia, East China's Anhui Province, southwestern Guizhou and Sichuan provinces and the central province of Hunan.

The previous eight outbreaks have been controlled and restrictions lifted.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)