Bird Flu Outbreak Wipes 10 Billion Yuan in Business

China's poultry industry is hit by 10 billion yuan ($1.62 billion) loss in just one week, say sources.

This is only direct losses, and the real impact of the disease will be far more than that, Ma Chuang at the Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine was quoted as saying.

Avian Influenza / Bird Flu-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment- FAQs
Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds but can infect humans also.

Many consumers have been reluctant to eat poultry since the H7N9 avian influenza outbreak started in late March.

Some restaurants have stopped offering poultry dishes - leading to a major decline in both poultry prices and consumption.

China's authorities have been taking precautions to halt the spread of the deadly disease.

Quiz on Flu
Influenza (or rather, the flu) is a cold weather infectious condition that affects the young and old alike. Though most reported cases are mild, the flu can sometimes cause severe and life-threatening complications in both children and adults, thanks to wrong medications and improper vaccinations. Learn more about the disease from our Flu Quiz and guard yourself and your family from a possible infection.

The widespread fears as well as the government's bans on poultry trading have cast a shadow over the whole industrial chain of the poultry industry.

As of Sunday evening, the H7N9 influenza has affected 60 patients while 13 of them have died.

Bird Flu Death Toll Hits 16 in China
H7N9 bird flu outbreak has claimed two more lives in Shanghai, Chinese state media confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from bird flu to 16 in China.

Source-IANS

China Shuts Down Poultry Farms Where Chickens Got Excessive Antibiotics
China's agriculture authority has closed poultry farms where birds were given excessive amounts of antibiotics like amantadine and ribavirin to help them survive in overcrowded coops.