About 120 dead chickens fished out of a river in east China's Jiangxi Province were clear of infection from a new strain of bird flu, a local official said Saturday.
Chicken carcasses wrapped up in more than a dozen bags were found afloat in a river in Yuehu District in the city of Yingtan on Wednesday, said Wang Dongliu, head of the district's quarantine station for animals.
The discovery grabbed public attention, as the deadly H7N9 strain of bird flu has sickened more than 40 people, mostly in east China, and killed 11 of them.
Tests of samples taken from the carcasses turned up negative for the virus, according to test results from the Jiangxi provincial center for disease control and prevention.
The dead chickens were removed from the river and properly disposed of, said Wang.
An investigation showed that the dead chickens were dumped by traders from a nearby poultry market.
The traders will face penalties.
Special report: H7N9 avian influenza
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