Bird flu detected in Mali

Mali's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that it had detected outbreaks of bird flu in the West African state and announced precautionary measures to "contain the disease".

Veterinary officials discovered the outbreaks after investigating high animal mortality levels on poultry farms around the capital Bamako as well as two other towns, according to a statement.

The ministry has ordered precautionary measures including disinfecting and quarantining farms, and destroying carcasses.

It also warned against eating birds that had fallen ill, and urged farmers to notify authorities should their animals die.

Mali's neighbours Senegal, Mauritania and Niger have also declared bird flu outbreaks in recent months.

The virus hit Europe over the winter too, where in France, officials culled about 3.5 million birds to prevent its spread.