Nanjing bans live poultry trade over H7N9

NANJING - The capital city of East China's H7N9 bird flu-afflicted Jiangsu province ordered the suspension of all live poultry trade and the immediate shuttering of poultry markets on Saturday.

The Nanjing government announced at a press conference 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 percent 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 from entering the city, as well as stop transporting birds out of Nanjing," Wang added.

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

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 Saturday morning, 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.