ADDIS ABABA, March 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The World Health Organization (WHO said Wednesday massive bird deaths were found this month in two regions in Eritrea.

    Wild fowl died in large numbers in the northern Red Sea region and in the western Gash Barka region this month, according to a report reaching here from Asmara, capital of Eritrea,

    The report quoted Andrew Kosia, WHO representative in Eritrea, as saying that WHO officials collected some suspicious samples and they will very soon send those samples to Nairobi for testing.

    UN experts will this week go to the two regions to do fact-finding, according to the report.

    WHO has warned that Eritrea was at a high risk of cross-border transmission of bird flu after the virus was detected in Egypt and tests indicated cases of bird flu-like infection in neighboring Ethiopia.

    Like many other African nations, Eritrea has banned imports of live poultry and poultry products since last October. Enditem