A new outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza has killed at least 2,600 birds at a poultry farm in China´s northern region of Inner Mongolia but the outbreak has been "brought under control", state media quoted officials as saying on Wednesday.

Tests confirmed that the unidentified birds were killed by the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which can infect humans, the government´s Xinhua news agency quoted agriculture ministry officials as saying.

The report gave few details of the outbreak, saying only that it hit a poultry farm close to the regional capital, Hohhot.

It did not say if any human infections were reported.