50,000 chickens to be culled at bird flu-hit farm in Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Following a fresh outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus at a farm in west Denmark, 50,000 chickens will have to be culled, the country's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries said in a press release on Monday.

"The flock is infected with the deadly and highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus. As a result, we will cull the entire herd of 50,000 chickens in the coming days, both to alleviate the birds' suffering and to prevent the spread of infection," Lotte Brink, head of section at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA), said.