Bird flu virus spreads in China

Beijing dismisses claims of a cover-up

China has detected suspected bird flu in three more provinces, amid fears the virus has been under-reported.

Officials were investigating cases in China's largest city of Shanghai and also in Anhui and Guangdong provinces, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.

China has also confirmed outbreaks of bird flu in two central provinces, Hunan and Hubei, Xinhua said.

The announcement prompted Hong Kong to suspend imports of live birds and poultry meat from China.

China said no humans had been infected and poultry was being culled in all the affected areas.

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The announcement came four days after Beijing confirmed its first case of bird flu, in the southern province of Guangxi.

China has denied claims that the disease was covered up.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is still waiting for more information from China to allow it to get a true picture of the bird flu outbreak, the BBC's Francis Marcus in Shanghai reports.

There are fears that China could become a huge incubator for the virus if the new cases are confirmed, our correspondent adds.