"SHANGHAI/HONG KONG -- Chinese authorities slaughtered over 20,000 birds at a poultry market in Shanghai on Friday as the death toll from a new strain of bird flu mounted to six, spreading concern overseas and sparking a sell-off in airline shares in Europe and Hong Kong."
"The local government in Shanghai said the Huhuai market for live birds had been shut down and 20,536 birds had been culled after authorities detected the H7N9 virus from samples of pigeons in the market. Other live poultry markets in the city will be closed down from Saturday, it said.
All the 14 reported infections from the H7N9 bird flu strain have been in eastern China and at least four of the dead are in Shanghai, a city of 23 million people and the showpiece of China's vibrant economy.
The latest death was of a 64-year-old man in Zhejiang province, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, adding that none of the 55 people who had close contact with him had shown symptoms of infection."
Fayen Wong and Clare Baldwin report for Reuters April 5, 2013.
SEE ALSO:
"China Kills Market Birds as Flu Found in Pigeons" (AP)
"China Closes Markets, Culls Birds To Curb H7N9 Virus" (AFP)
"No Sign of Sustained Spread Of H7N9 Between Humans: WHO" (Reuters)
"Bird Flu Worries Sink Airline Shares" (Wall St. Journal)
"Farmers Threaten To Dump More Pigs in Rivers as Flu Fear Rises" (Times of London)
"Bird Flu Death Toll Rises To Six In China" (Washington Post)
"China Kills Market Birds as Flu Deaths Rise" (Wall St. Journal)
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