3 more poultry samples test H7N9 positive

BEIJING - Three more poultry samples in China have tested positive for the deadly H7N9 strain of avian flu, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said Wednesday.

The virus was detected in two samples collected at two farm produce fairs in central China's Henan Province. Another positive sample was collected from a chicken at a fair in East China's Zhejiang province, according to a MOA statement.

After gene sequence analysis, the national avian flu reference laboratory concluded that the strain of H7N9 found in the samples was highly congeneric with that found in a pigeon sample on April 4.

The ministry has ordered the provinces to strengthen monitoring of the H7N9 virus and take proper disease prevention and control measures.

As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the deadly bird flu had infected 108 people in China and killed 22 of them, official data showed.

To date, the national bird flu reference lab has detected the H7N9 virus in 43 poultry samples, the MOA said.