Belgium has battled to stop disease taking hold

A suspected case of the highly-contagious disease has been found near Antwerp, suggesting the disease has jumped from the eastern corner where it has so far been detected.

The outbreak - which is still to be confirmed - is at least 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the existing cluster of cases.

In a separate development, Belgian authorities announced on Wednesday that an extra one-million birds would be killed in Limburg province, around the scene of the earlier cases.

Around 700,000 Belgian birds were already being slaughtered as the authorities battle to contain the illness, which has caused devastation to the Dutch poultry industry.

In the Netherlands, millions of birds have been killed since the outbreak began nearly six weeks ago, but fresh cases are still coming to light.

A Dutch vet last week became the outbreak's first human victim, but health ministry officials said on Tuesday he had not been suffering from a mutated version of the virus which could spread more quickly.

Belgium's food safety agency, Afsca, said on Wednesday there was a "strong suspicion" that the illness detected near Antwerp was bird flu.

Turkeys on a farm at Malle, about 20km (13 miles) outside Antwerp, had begun dying, officials said.

Initial tests on the dead birds "demonstrated clinical symptoms typical of the illness," it said in a statement.

Final test results are expected later on Wednesday.

Officials say 20,000 turkeys will be slaughtered as a precautionary measure.

Disease effects

Birds suffering from the disease lay fewer eggs, lose their appetites and suffer swelling and discolouration in their combs.

All export of Belgian and Dutch poultry and eggs remains banned.

Chickens, turkeys, ducks and other birds all catch the disease, but it is usually not caught by people. However, as well as the vet who died, dozens of people working with the infected birds have contracted conjunctivitis.

At least 230 Dutch farms have been affected.