Public Health | Live poultry sales suspended

Live poultry sales in Macau have been suspended for at least three days, starting yesterday and continuing until Saturday, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) and the Health Bureau announced. The ban comes after a test sample from the Iao Hon Market was found to contain the avian influenza virus.
In order to ensure public safety and to minimize the risk of the virus spreading, local authorities culled more than 9,000 birds in Macau’s wholesale markets. The slaughters were carried out shortly after the aforementioned sample tested positive for the H7 subtype virus.
A public health contingency system was immediately activated once the virus was detected. The measures that were taken include: the suspension, until further notice, of imports from mainland farms suspected of being associated with the source of the virus; and a thorough cleaning and sterilization of the sections of Macau’s wholesale markets that handle poultry, as well as all stalls in local wet markets that sell live poultry.
The government has informed mainland authorities about the incident and will work closely with them to trace the virus back to its source, said a representative of the IACM.
The departments are now investigating the source of the virus. The sales ban is likely to be extended to up to 21 days if the source is not found before Saturday.
In addition, the seven people who manage the stall where the virus was detected have been placed under medical observation at the Conde S. Januário Hospital for a period of 10 days.
The Health Bureau urges anyone who visited the Iao Han Market on Wednesday, and anyone who has developed symptoms such as a fever and cough, to contact the authorities.