China Slaughters Birds As Flu Deaths Mount

A sixth person has died in China from a new strain of bird flu, prompting the slaughter of over 20,000 birds at a poultry market in Shanghai.

The city's authorities shut down the Huhuai market for live birds and ordered the culling of 20,536 birds after the H7N9 virus was detected in samples of pigeons that are sold for meat in the market.

State media ran pictures of animal health officials in protective overalls and masks working through the night at the market, taking notes as they stood over piles of poultry carcasses in plastic bags. The area was guarded by police and cordoned off with plastic tape.

Other live poultry markets in Shanghai, which has a population of 23 million people, are due be closed down from Saturday.

Police cordoned off the area as birds at the wholesale market were culled

The bird cull is the first so far as the Chinese government responds to the new strain of bird flu, which has left 16 people ill, many critically, in the east of the country in its first known infections of people. The first cases were announced on Sunday.

At least four of the deaths were in Shanghai. The latest fatality was a 64-year-old farmer in the eastern city of Huzhou.

In Shanghai, some residents are staying away from markets with live chickens and ducks.

Shao Linxia, 38, who has stopped buying poultry since news of the bird flu surfaced, said: "I'm only getting my groceries at the large supermarkets now because I don't think it is safe to visit the wet markets anymore.

A technician carries out a test on a suspected H7N9 infected sample

"We all remember Sars and how quickly it could spread, so we are obviously worried."

Health officials believe people are contracting the virus through direct contact with infected fowl and say there has been no evidence so far that the virus is spreading easily between people.

Guidelines issued by the national health agency identify butchers, breeders and sellers of poultry, and those in the meat processing industry as at higher risk of infection.

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