Poland reports fresh outbreak of H5N1 bird flu

WARSAW, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Laboratory tests have confirmed a fresh outbreak of deadly H5N1 avian flu in the same area of northern Poland where the virus was discovered earlier this month, PAP news agency said on Saturday.

"The presence of the H5N1 virus has been confirmed by the State Veterinary Institute in (dead) chickens found on an egg-producing farm in the district of Zuromin," PAP cited a statement from Poland's Chief Veterinary Office as saying.

Preparations were under way to cull birds on four poultry farms in the village of Sadlowo Parcele, where 186,000 egg-laying hens are found, the agency reported.

The latest bird flu centre is within the contamination zone of a Dec. 8 outbreak in the village of Karniszyn, from where the virus is believed to have been transmitted.

This is the eighth case of the H5N1 bird flu virus in Poland since the start of December, when an outbreak was reported at a turkey farm in the Plock area, 80 km (50 miles) north-west of Warsaw.

One of the European Union's leading poultry producers, Poland exported 230,000 tonnes of poultry to European markets last year.

(Writing by Rob Strybel; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)