RIYADH - The Saudi agriculture ministry ordered a cull of 158,000 chickens on Tuesday following the confirmation of a new outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is dangerous to humans.
The outbreak was detected on a poultry farm in the Al-Kharj region, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Riyadh, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
Since the latest outbreak of bird flu was discovered on November 15, some four million birds have been culled on at least 15 separate infected farms.
Saudi Arabia also reported an outbreak of avian influenza last March.
There have been no reports of the disease spreading to humans in the oil-rich kingdom.
Worldwide, H5N1 has killed more than 200 people since 2003, most of them in Asia, according to the World Health Organisation.
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