April 9, 2013

Live poultry trade will be suspended in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (east China), as the city is hit by a H7N9 bird flu outbreak.

The Nanjing government announced that it has assembled a team to lead H7N9 bird flu virus prevention and control in the city.

"Sales of live poultry at the three main poultry trade markets -- Zijinshan, Tianyinshan and Jianye -- which account for 90% of all poultry in the city, have been banned," said Wang Zhixi, deputy director of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau of Nanjing.

"Meanwhile, we will ban live poultry from other places, as well as ceasing transportation of birds out of Nanjing," Wang added.

The 11 administrative districts in the city are required to report their situation daily.

A total of 8,408 live chickens, ducks, geese and pigeons have been controlled.

So far, Jiangsu has confirmed six H7N9 infection cases.

As of last week, China has confirmed 16 H7N9 cases -- six in Shanghai, six in Jiangsu, three in Zhejiang and one in Anhui, in the first known human infections of the lesser-known strain. Six people have died from H7N9 infections in Shanghai and Zhejiang.

Shanghai and Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province, have also suspended live poultry trading.