Watch: China reports bird flu outbreak (Reuters)

China has reportedly seen an outbreak of a 'highly pathogenic' strain of H5N1 bird flu which has already killed 4,500 chickens.

The outbreak was initially reported at a farm in Shaoyang city in the southern province of Hunan, south of the epicentre of the Coronavirus in Wuhan.

According to the Reuters report, Chinese authorities have already culled 17,828 poultry in the wake of the outbreak.

© Provided by Daily Mail China has reportedly seen an outbreak of a 'highly pathogenic' strain of H5N1 bird flu which has already killed 4,500 chickens. Pictured is a poultry farm in China

The farm has now been sealed off and sterilised.

The bird flu has been classed as highly pathogenic because of the number of birds which have died from the disease.

According to the NHS, the H5N1 strain of the virus has 'caused concern' in recent years.

Although the disease doesn't easily infect humans and it is hard to spread it from human to human, several people have been infected around the world and died.

© Provided by Daily Mail The outbreak was initially reported at a farm in Shaoyang city (not pictured) in the southern province of Hunan, south of the epicentre of the Coronavirus in Wuhan.

When people do become infected by the disease, the rate of mortality is about 60 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation.

People can become infected by coming into close contact with infected live or dead birds, or H5N1-contaminated environments.

© Provided by Daily Mail Shaoyang is about 350 miles from the central city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak began late last month. Pictured are medical officers evacuating people from Wuhan Shaoyang is about 302 miles from the central city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak began late last month.

The coronavirus death toll has now reached 305. Only one person has died outside of China, in the Philippines.

© Provided by Daily Mail As the coronavirus death toll in China today rose to 350 and the World Health Organisation has declared a global emergency, it has also emerged:

It can take up to two weeks, or potentially more, for symptoms to appear so people may not know they are infected.

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