1,600 chickens die in China from bird flu

BEIJING, July 2 (UPI) -- China's Ministry of Agriculture said Monday 1,600 chickens died in a bird flu outbreak, forcing the destruction of 156,439 other birds as a preventive measure.

The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed the presence of H5N1 in the dead chickens, raised by Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xinhua reported.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported 5,500 XPCC chickens showed symptoms of avian flu June 20, leading to the destruction of the 156,439 remaining chickens as the company's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region facility was sterilized.