Guangzhou reopens live poultry markets

Poultry markets in south China's Guangzhou reopened for trading on Saturday after a two-week suspension over bird flu scares.

During the closure, commercial and food safety authorities collected 1,075 poultry samples from seven poultry wholesale markets and 96 farm produce markets for H7N9 virus tests.

Results showed a sharp fall of positive tests compared with earlier testing.

Yang Zhicong, deputy head of the city's disease control center, said no one involved in live poultry trading has been found to be infected with the virus during the past two weeks.

All of the city's 19 confirmed H7N9 infection cases were reported to have contracted the virus before the trade suspension, of which six patients have died, and six others have been discharged from hospital after fully recovering. Seven infected patients are still being treated in hospital in Guangzhou.

Yang said poultry traders are required to clean their stalls every day, carry out a thorough sterilization once a week and close business one day a month.

Guangzhou has south China's largest poultry markets. The trade suspension since Feb. 14 has incurred heavy losses to poultry farmers and dealers.