June 21, 2013

Shanghai's live poultry markets reopen after China's bird flu outbreak

Almost 10 weeks after Shanghai imposed a ban of live poultry sale to prevent the spread of H7N9 bird flu,  live poultry sale in local markets resumed on Thursday (Jun 20).

Retail outlets allowed to sell live poultry must follow regulations strictly and disinfect their premises regularly. The stores will be separated from the other sections of markets and will have their own entrances.

The number of live poultry retail stores in the city will shrink to 200, from 461 before the outbreak. One of the three main wholesale poultry markets will remain closed while the other two in the Pudong New Area and Songjiang District, will reopen after test results are accepted by the authorities.

The city is considering cutting back on live poultry sale every year between Spring Festival in January/February and the end of April. A preliminary proposal would assign designated retail outlets to close one day per week, while wholesale markets would close one or two days a week.

A tracking system will keep records of live poultry suppliers and the origin of their birds, covering breeding, wholesaling and retailing. Tracking information will be stored by wholesale markets and sent to slaughterhouses and retailers. Residents will be able to search for information online about the poultry they buy with a tracking number.

Frozen products will continue to dominate the poultry market, officials said. Such poultry, although considered much cleaner and safer than fresh poultry, must pass strict inspections. Live poultry trade will be gradually phased out due to hygiene problems.

However, many residents still prefer live poultry due to tradition and the belief that fresh poultry is more tender and delicious. They also worry about the safety of chilled chicken.

H7N9 avian flu first appeared in humans this year in February, as flu-like symptoms popped up in eastern China. The National Health and Family Planning Commission announced the discovery of the H7N9 virus on March 31. The flu caused 15 deaths in Shanghai but has abated this summer. The government closed all live poultry markets in Shanghai as of April 6, when China's death toll rose to six.