First bird flu cases reported in China
29 January 2004
China reported its first cases of Asian bird flu over the Chinese New Year holiday on a duck farm in the country's southern Guangxi province.
Officials were also investigating a suspected outbreak at a duck farm in Wugang city, Hunan province.
There was no immediate evidence that the virus had crossed over into humans.
The Guangxi regional government quarantined certain areas and slaughtered a total of 140,000 poultry in a three km radius.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health had forwarded information to the UN and WHO saying they welcomed any assistance in curbing the spread of the disease.