March 6, 2006

Bird flu not the cause of death of 300 ducks in China

About 300 ducks died in southern China from a virus, but not the type that causes bird flu, the government said Sunday (Mar 5).

The ducks in the Huadu district of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, died Feb 24 from serositis, also called new duck disease, the official People's Daily newspaper said on its website.

The ducks and others that were "affected" were destroyed, the report said, without elaborating. Experts have disinfected the farm, it said.