Foreign media have been allowed into the Chinese mainland's first confirmed bird flu site to see for themselves the health of the residents.

The journalists toured the quarantined Dingdang Township in Long'an county, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the first access by foreign journalists since avian influenza was reported on Jan. 27 on the Chinese mainland.

They were permitted to enter the disease-hit duck farm and interview its owner, Huang Shengde, who reported massive deaths of his ducks on Jan. 23. Four days later, his duck field was confirmed as affected by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Huang, who has since been under quarantine, was in good health.

"I had heard rumors that Huang was also affected and sick, but now he looks good and healthy," said Tong Jingzhi, a Reuters cameraman.

"Medical staff come and take my temperature every day and send daily necessities," Huang told the media.

Reuters photographer Niu Guang said he thought controls over the infected site were tough, but life was normal in the non-affected areas.

About 14 reporters from 10 media organizations participated in the trip.

"We are willing to invite overseas media because this will help people around the world understand what's happening there," said Zhan Anling, an official with the Information Office of the State Council, which organized the visit.

Early this month, some foreign media published articles declaring that human infections of bird flu had been found in China and that China was the source of the epidemic. The official spokesman of the Chinese government firmly refuted the claims as groundless.

Medical experts conducted thorough examinations after the first outbreak and they still lack enough evidence to confirm the source of the epidemic, said Bi Qiang, Guangxi's senior official in charge of treating bird flu, in a briefing with the overseas reporters.

Some scientists said migratory birds might be the source, but they didn't have enough proof, Bi said.

Transparency, openness, and cooperation were needed to fight the disease, he said, adding that the government was trying to do this.

So far, the disease had been contained and no human infections reported, he said.

Bird flu has already caused deaths in Vietnam and Thailand.

After the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory confirmed the ducks at Huang Shengde's farm died of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, the local government slaughtered all poultry within a three-kilometer radius and vaccination was implemented within five kilometers. The affected site was then cordoned off and remains in quarantine.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2004)