Flu did not come from China, leaders say

BEIJING, April 30 (UPI) -- Chinese government officials called reports that the H1N1 swine flu outbreak originated in China baseless.

Foreign media reportedly said dead pigs found in Fijian province could be the source of the outbreak of H1N1 flu, the clinical name for swine flu, in Mexico that is spreading worldwide, China Daily reported Thursday.

China has not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United States, the Agriculture Ministry said. The pigs died of swine dysentery and dropsy, common among young pigs, and health investigators found no signs of an epidemic in their investigations into pig farms, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry alerted Chinese citizens to suspend work trips to Mexico and to redouble flu prevention measures if they travel to other countries reporting confirmed H1N1 cases.

China Wednesday offered humanitarian aid worth $5 million to Mexico, including $1 million in cash and $4 million in medical supplies, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.