A fresh, eighth, outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in the north of the country, where the deadly virus was discovered earlier this month, the chief sanitary official said on Saturday.

Ewa Lech said the virus was confirmed at poultry farms in the village of Sadlowo Parcele, where 190,000 egg-laying hens are found.

The first avian flu case was reported at three turkey farms in central Poland in early December.

Lech earlier said the country could suffer significant economic losses from an outbreak of avian influenza. Poland is one of Europe's largest producers of poultry and poultry products. It supplied 230,000 metric tons of poultry and poultry products to European markets in 2006.