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Kate Chan

A poultry stall at a Hong Kong market has been disinfected after an environmental sample tested positive for the H9 bird flu virus, with shoppers remaining largely unfazed despite a recent infection involving a two-year-old boy.
The affected stall, the only live poultry shop operating inside Sha Tin’s Wo Che Market, temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday morning for cleaning.
The shop owner and three staff members were seen scrubbing live chicken cages and wiping down price tags while officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) monitored the disinfection work on site.
“Foot traffic today is lower than usual for a typical morning,” said Liu Yuk-lan, a vendor at a nearby grocery store, adding that she had seen staff spraying disinfectant overnight.
“I haven’t taken any special precautions because of this. Wearing a mask is already a must for my job.”
Despite Liu noting fewer crowds, most customers said they were not worried.

Leung Shun-ying, an 84-year-old resident who visits the market only occasionally but came on Tuesday due to the rain, said: “I’m not worried because I never buy live chickens from that affected store and I always wear a mask when going out.”
A regular shopper surnamed Kwok said: “I don’t see a risk as long as I maintain good personal hygiene and keep clean.”
But she said the case would affect her buying habits.
“Although I have never bought from that affected stall, I don’t want to buy poultry from there after this case,” Kwok said. “I will also think twice before buying from any other live poultry shops in the future.”
Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said the risk of a large-scale bird flu outbreak in Hong Kong remained low, though sporadic cases could not be ruled out.
“H9N2 is generally transmitted from birds to humans, not from person to person. Therefore, the risk of a large outbreak in Hong Kong is relatively low,” he told a radio programme.
He urged residents to wash their hands after contact with live poultry and to avoid feeding pigeons or other wild birds.
The inspection followed an announcement by the Centre for Health Protection on Monday confirming that a two-year-old Sha Tin resident had contracted the H9N2 bird flu after visiting Wo Che Market. The boy remains in stable condition.
Authorities collected 17 environmental samples from the boy’s residence, a park in Fung Wo Estate, and a fresh provision shop he had frequented.
One sample, taken from a metal tray beneath a live chicken cage used to collect droppings at the shop, tested positive for the H9 virus. The remaining 16 samples were negative.
The centre said it was more likely that the boy contracted H9 bird flu by touching a contaminated surface at the poultry stall.
Additional reporting by Fiona Sun and Benjamin Fuller


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Hong Kong poultry stall suspended for disinfection after bird flu trace detected

Staff members scrub live chicken cages. Photo: Sam Tsang

The poultry stall is located inside Wo Che Market in Sha Tin. Photo: Sam Tsang

The poultry stall temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday morning for cleaning. Photo: Sam Tsang

A staff member clean and disinfect the poultry shop at Wo Che Market. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Shoppers say they are ‘not worried’ despite confirmation that two-year-old boy contracted H9N2 after visiting Wo Che Market in Sha Tin


Shoppers say they are ‘not worried’ despite confirmation that two-year-old boy contracted H9N2 after visiting Wo Che Market in Sha Tin.


Hong Kong poultry stall suspended for disinfection after bird flu trace detected

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Shoppers say they are ‘not worried’ despite confirmation that two-year-old boy contracted H9N2 after visiting Wo Che Market in Sha Tin

Shoppers say they are ‘not worried’ despite confirmation that two-year-old boy contracted H9N2 after visiting Wo Che Market in Sha Tin