Hens sit in coops at a Charoen Pokphand (CP Group) egg processing facility in Beijing. Sales of fowl have been banned at markets in several Chinese cities to try to stem the spread of a new outbreak of avian flu. (Bloomberg photo)BEIJING - An outbreak of a deadly bird flu virus in China's central Hunan province has prompted authorities to put a temporary bar on the sale of live poultry in several cities, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Live poultry markets are still common in smaller towns and cities around China, although most major cities no longer permit trade in live birds since the bird flu strain first infected humans in 2013. Markets in Hunan's capital Changsha and other cities including Yueyang have been temporarily closed, said the report.

Source: Bangkok Post February 07, 2017 20:04 UTC