Reports on disease origin ‘groundless’

The government on Wednesday rejected as “groundless” foreign reports labeling China as the origin of the swine flu outbreak.

According to the reports, dead pigs found in Fuqing, Fujian province, might be the source of the outbreak in Mexico.

But the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said the pigs died of swine dysentery and dropsy, both common among young pigs, adding investigations into pig farms around the area found no signs of an epidemic.

China has not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United States, so the country can’t be the origin of the deadly disease, the ministry said.

No human cases of swine flu have been found in China, nor has the virus been found in pigs.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce has alerted Chinese citizens to suspend work trips to Mexico and to strengthen prevention measures if they are traveling to other flu-affected countries.

Full article here