Hong Kong destroys poultry from China, suspends imports after bird flu found at market

Authorities in Hong Kong have begun destroying 15,000 chickens at a poultry market and suspended imports from mainland China after bird flu was found in some birds.

The Hong Kong health secretary announced early Wednesday that the Cheung Sha Wan market will be closed for 21 days and imports suspended for the same period.

The secretary, Ko Wing-man, said the H7 variety of flu was found in some chickens at the market supplied by a farm in Guangdong province on the mainland. Ko gave no other details. Authorities are most concerned about preventing the spread of the H7N9 flu strain.

In January, Hong Kong authorities destroyed 20,000 birds after a chicken from Guangdong tested positive for the H7N9 strain of bird flu.