Nearly 1.6 million birds have been killed so far in an effort to contain the ongoing bird flu epidemic, according to farm ministry figures.

The latest outbreak was confirmed at a broiler chicken farm in Ysselsteyn in Limburg, where 153,000 birds were culled on Monday.

The outbreak is the fourth in the area surrounding the village in the past few days. There are two other poultry farms within a kilometre of the affected farm and 10 within three kilometres.

All 12 will be monitored closely in the coming days.

Bird flu resurfaced in October and there have been dozens of cases since then. Farmers have been ordered to keep their birds indoors and out of contact with wild birds since the middle of the month.

The death toll topped one million at the end of November.