BEIJING: Authorities in China's third-largest city have warned that about 30% of its live poultry markets are contaminated with the H7N9 avian flu virus. The China Daily reported that disease control authorities in Guangzhou, the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, urged residents to avoid contact with live poultry after tests in the past week. Chinese disease control experts have warned the public to stay alert for H7N9 avian flu, with more than 100 cases of human infections reported over the last 10 weeks. China has confirmed five bird flu outbreaks among poultry this winter, which has led to the culling of more than 175,000 birds. The last major outbreak in China was in 2013, killing 36 people and causing more than $6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector.

Source: Bangkok Post February 11, 2017 07:32 UTC