Doubts and worries over China's restriction on live poultry trade

Chinese authorities are taking measures to restrict live poultry trade in a bid to curb H7N9 avian flu, but there are doubts and worries about how it will effect the industry.

At a promotion in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong province, on Tuesday, customers were encouraged to buy processed poultry, rather than live birds.

Processed poultry refers to the birds stored in an environment between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius after being slaughtered in registered houses.

"Residents in Guangdong prefer fresh poultry to processed ones, but in terms of nutrition, there is no difference," said Wu Shengming, vice director with the office of the provincial food safety commission.

Another H7N9 avian flu victim died in China, confirmed local authorities on Tuesday.

The man was a 60-year-old farmer in Linyi, east China's Shandong Province, who was infected while working in the neighboring Jiangsu. He was accepted by a local hospital on January 7, and died ten days later.

He was the only H7N9-infected patient in Shandong. In Guangdong, the number of H7N9 cases has reached 12 since the beginning of 2015. In Fujian, 15 such cases were reported this year, with two deaths. Zhejiang and Shanghai also saw H7N9 cases.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013, killing three in east China. With symptoms including fever, cough and respiratory failure, it has repeatedly cropped up in winter and spring seasons.

Live bird markets are believed to have a link to the disease. "Most infected people (in Guangzhou) have direct contacts with live birds," said Lin Yongsheng, vice director with the office of the provincial food safety commission in Guangdong.

A series of human infections have led to the culling of thousands of chickens in Guangdong and Hong Kong since the beginning of this year.

According to a regulation on poultry trading and management issued by Guangdong in December, restricted areas for live poultry trade in cities will be established, and no more than three live poultry retail markets are allowed in one restricted area.

It requires cleaning and sterilization of live poultry markets and transport cages every day. No unsold live poultry can remain in retail markets at night.

The provincial government has launched trial sales of processed poultry in cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan last May to reduce people' s contacts with live birds.

Two restaurants in Guangzhou launched a week-long promotion starting on Tuesday, offering 100 processed chicken everyday free of charge to customers.

In Huangpu district, downtown Shanghai, all five live poultry markets have been closed permanently.

In Fujian, traders in the live bird markets were ordered to clean the booths and slaughter areas every day, disinfect every week and close the markets once a month for a thorough cleanup.

Although the country has made progress in preventing and controlling H7N9 bird flu, doubts remain that the measures are necessary and effective.

"Few live poultry traders and butchers get infected with H7N9," said Bi Yingzuo, an expert with South China Agricultural University. "The flu has a closer link with people' s immunity than live birds."

A Guangzhou citizen surnamed Yu told Xinhua she travels to the outlying district which does not restrict live poultry trading at weekends to buy chicken.

"I only eat chicken which I see butchers kill so I can feel assured," she said.

On microblog Sina Weibo, user Doudou'er asked "Who can guarantee the safety of cold poultry?"

"Perhaps new problems will crop up," he said.

In 2013, the outbreak of H7N9 influenza led to losses worth more than 40 billion yuan (6.7 billion U.S. dollars) after the closure of poultry markets.

"The regulation may bring harm to interests of many people especially live poultry sellers, and it is not a fair competition," said Zou Chujun on her Sina Weibo account.

A live poultry trader surnamed Lin in Fuzhou, Fujian's capital, told Xinhua that he pays close attention to the epidemic.

"The outbreak of H7N9 bird flu brought down our sales," Lin, who has been trading poultry for 10 years, said. He now cleans the poultry cages at least three times a day. "It is good to be cautious, but media reports of the disease always cause an overreaction from the public."