Two experts of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) left Beijing Tuesday for areas in southern China that are hit by bird flu for a four-day investigation.

This is the first time the FAO sent experts to bird flu-hit areas in China after the highly infectious avian disease was reported in the country at the end of January.

The two experts, Xu Ji, assistant FAO representative to China, and Laurence Gleeson, consultant and senior animal disease expert with the FAO, will carry out investigations in Long'an County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China and in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China.

They are expected to hold talks with local officials about the epidemic there.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2004)