Hangzhou, Shanghai to halt live poultry trading

The eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou will suspend live poultry trading in its main urban areas, starting on Friday. The move aims to contain the H7N9 bird flu virus from spreading.

The neighboring city of Shanghai will take similar measures during the Spring Festival holidays and beyond. Authorities in Hangzhou are monitoring domestic fowl and birds in poultry farms, the habitats of migratory birds as well as parks.

On Thursday, five new human H7N9 cases were reported in Zhejiang province, which has seen new H7N9 cases for 15 consecutive days. The new cases brought the number of infections in the province to 37, the highest in the nation.

In Shanghai, the city reported two more deaths from the H7N9 virus, raising its total to four. Human cases of H7N9 have also been reported in the provinces of Jiangsu, Fujian and Guangdong.