Beijing angrily rejects reports on China origin of swine flu

 

 

A senior Chinese health official said Wednesday (April 29) that overseas media reports pointing to China as the source of a swine flu outbreak were aimed at tarnishing his nation's image.

 

"Driven by ulterior motives, some overseas media have ignored the facts of the epidemic and basic scientific knowledge and deliberately fabricated rumours that this epidemic came from China," said health ministry spokesman Mao Qunan.

 

"(They) aim to muddle right and wrong, create disturbances and ruin China's image," he said in a statement posted on the ministry's Web site.

 

A number of press reports have said the swine flu virus originated in Asia, with some quoting the Mexican governor of Veracruz, Fidel Herrera, as telling reporters Monday that the virus began in China.

 

"We are resolutely opposed to this," Mao said.

 

He said China was ready to work with the international community to help curb the spread of the A/H1N1 swine flu, which is suspected in more than 150 deaths in Mexico and has spread around the world.

 

So far, China hasn't reported any human cases of the swine flu.

 

"At present, we haven't detected any cases of human infection of this virus, nor have we discovered any similar infections in pigs," Mao said.

 

"After the swine flu epidemic broke out in the US, Mexico and other places, the Chinese government placed a lot of importance on this and immediately initiated the emergency prevention system," Mao said.

 

"In the process of fighting this epidemic, our nation will maintain close cooperation and make common efforts with the World Health Organization and the governments of nations hit by the outbreak."

 

According to the China News Service, China Wednesday agreed to give Mexico US$5 million in aid to help fight the outbreak.

 

Mexico's government kept the country's public venues locked down into Wednesday as it grappled with the new strain of flu.