April 5th, 2013
07:40 AM ET

Report: 20K birds killed in China flu probe

[Updated at 7:40 a.m. ET] Chinese authorities have killed more than 20,000 birds from a live-poultry trading zone in Shanghai after an unusual strain of bird flu that has so far killed six people in the country was found in pigeons on sale in the city, state-run media Xinhua reported Friday.

Details of the slaughter of chickens, ducks, geese and pigeons come as the city prepares to temporarily close all its live poultry markets. It wasn't clear how long the market closures - announced Friday on the Shanghai Municipal Government's microblog account - would last.

[Posted at 1:27 a.m. ET] A sixth person in eastern China has died from an unusual strain of bird flu, Chinese health authorities said Friday.

A 64-year-old man died Thursday night in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, the provincial health bureau said Friday. He died hours after doctors had confirmed he had been infected with the H7N9 virus, it said.

The H7N9 strain of bird flu had not been detected in humans before the recent Chinese cases, which authorities began reporting on Sunday.

FULL STORY

Filed under: China • Health
soundoff (6 Responses)
  1. banasy©

    Pidgeons. Figures.

    April 5, 2013 at 10:56 am | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    Lol. It came from pidgeons or city chickens as some ppl say, and yet they killed other birds?

    April 5, 2013 at 2:31 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      I know, right? Unsure why that would be. Maybe ducks and chickens are easier to catch?

      April 5, 2013 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Mary

    The real story IS, they were pressing their little ears up to close to the speakers while listening to JImi Hendrix's version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at "Woodstock"

    April 6, 2013 at 8:23 am | Report abuse |
  4. Gayle

    Birds have ears? Well if theydo i guess Jimi Hendrix is good for them to strut their stuff too. Anyway my question would be if this is the only country affected with bird flu then it must be in what theyre feeding them.

    April 6, 2013 at 9:15 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Gayle

    Feedling?? And duh yourself rude person. Apparantly theyre feeding them something they shouldnt be if its causing this.

    April 6, 2013 at 11:13 pm | Report abuse |
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