March 2, 2006

6,000 chicks die in south China farm

Six thousands chicks have died in a southern Chinese farm from a suspected parasite-related illness, but officials have not ruled out bird flu as a cause, the government announced Thursday.

The birds, which were among a group of more than 11,000 chicks about a month old, died over several weeks in the Guangdong province city of Guangzhou, the Guangzhou Food Safety News Network website said.

The chicks are suspected of falling ill due to cold and rainy weather. Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper, quoting local residents, put the toll at nearly 9,000.

The paper's Thursday edition quoted Guangdong's agriculture department as saying the parasite Coccidia is suspected, but it also quoted animal disease prevention official Yu Yedong as saying bird flu cannot be immediately ruled out.