China says WHO bird flu accusation 'totally inaccurate'
China has rejected an accusation it is the source of the outbreak of bird flu that has hit 10 Asian nations and claimed 10 lives in Vietnam and Thailand.
The World Health Organisation has asked for an explanation of the deaths of two tourists a year ago.
It has alleged the outbreak began in southern China in early 2003 after a poultry vaccination scheme went wrong and has since been covered up.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Zhang Qiyue, has rejected the charge.
"We believe that such an allegation is totally inaccurate, groundless and also absolutely not respecting science and irresponsible," she said.
"We believe that this highly contagious disease is a headache for the world."
Meanwhile, bird flu has hit three more of Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities, taking the number affected to 31.
The capital Hanoi, the northern province Thai Nguyen, and central Binh Dinh province are the latest to report the presence of the disease in their poultry populations.
It's the first time bird flu has been reported in central Vietnam.
In Laos. more than 5,000 chickens have been destroyed after bird flu was discovered on a farm near the capital, Vientiane.
The government has banned the transport of all chickens from a five-kilometre zone around the contaminated area.
Laos has not been able to specify the strain of the virus, but to date no human infections have been reported.
And, Indonesia has bowed to international pressure and agreed to the culling of tens of thousands of chickens, believed to be infected with the bird flu.
The decision has been welcomed by the World Health Organisation, which claims culling is the best method of tackling the deadly virus.
The Indonesian Government had previously opposed a mass cull because of the cost of compensating farmers.
30/01/2004 02:01:36 | ABC Radio Australia News
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