The H5N1 avian flu virus has been detected in the city of Zhanjiang in south China's Guangdong province, experts confirmed yesterday.

The virus has infected 14,050 ducks and killed 6,300 of them since September 11, when symptoms were first reported, a Ministry of Agriculture official said.

After the epidemic was confirmed, local authorities cordoned off an infected area in the city and killed all poultry in the area before starting to decontaminate it, the official said.

China is particularly prone to bird flu epidemics, as it has the world's largest poultry population and many rural farmers live in close proximity to their poultry.