Hyderabad, Feb. 11 -- After a heavily controlled WHO visit to China, a team of 14 scientists investigating the origin of the pandemic concluded their month-long investigation by echoing the Communist Party's claim that 'cold-chain products' such as Australian beef could have led to the initial outbreak.

Peter Embarek, leader of the WHO teamsaid that further studies should be conducted to determine whether the virus was imported into the country - possibly on frozen meat sold at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan where the first cases were detected.

The investigators also added that it was "extremely unlikely" that the virus leaked from a lab and that no further studies need to be conducted into the theory.

The report willarm the critic...