Slovakia has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus on a farm in the western part of the country, Reuters reported, citing the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health on Monday.

The outbreak near the town of Galanta killed 1,530 poultry birds out of a flock of 5,665, the Paris-based body said, quoting information from Slovakian health authorities.

A record number of chickens, turkeys and other birds have died in outbreaks of the highly contagious disease in Europe in the past year and the virus is spreading in the United States, South America, Africa, and Asia.