BEIJING, Feb 1 (Reuters) -

* China reported an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 bird flu at a farm in Shaoyang city of the southern province of Hunan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday.

* The case occurred on a farm with 7,850 chickens, 4,500 of which have died of the bird flu.

* The authorities have culled 17,828 poultry following the outbreak. (Reporting by Judy Hua and Se Young Lee)