HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities culled 4,500 birds at a wholesale market on Tuesday, two days after a suspension in trade of live poultry following a positive test for the H7N9 virus.
Staff in full-body protective gear killed chickens, pigeons and other birds at a temporary wholesale poultry market by stuffing them into a bin filled with carbon dioxide.
Chicken vendor Chan Shun-kuen said it was too early to estimate losses as the government had yet to announce when trade will resume, but she supported the move.
“Safety comes first,” Chan said. “Now we are starting from scratch and making sure everything is clean and hygienic. I support the government’s decision.”
The first known human case of the H7N9 strain was reported in mainland China in March 2013, the World Health Organisation says. The virus spread to Hong Kong nine months later and killed three people.
REUTERS
