An international panel of experts has rejected the notion that China's vaccination program has caused the bird flu virus to mutate.

The experts from the World Health Organization, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health, told Xinhua the "Fujian-like virus" is actually not a new strain and was identified in 2005.

It relates to the bird flu virus extracted from poultry samples in 2004, according to the panel.

The mutation of influenza virus is a natural process. There is no scientific evidence backing the theory that H5N1 bird flu virus has evolved as a result of China's vaccination program, it said.

A scientific paper released by the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified a strain of bird flu virus found in southern China, Malaysia and Laos, calling it a "Fujian-like virus", adding that it was vaccine resistant.

WHO officials have previously criticized the naming process of different strains saying it stigmatized particular countries and regions.

David Heymann, interim WHO director who participated in the panel which held discussions from Dec. 4 to 8, expressed appreciation of China's cooperative efforts in fighting the disease.

"A Chinese virus has been used in this network (the WHO collaborating network) to develop what is called the prototype vaccine for pandemic influenza," he said. "So China has contributed significantly and internationally."

The panel suggested China and other countries further monitor the virus mutation and vaccination on small-scale farms.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)