Four industries suffer from H7N9 bird flu

Updated: 2013-04-08 13:17

By Mao Jing (Chinadaily.com.cn)

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The poultry market, hospitality, tourism and aviation industry have all been affected as the H7N9 epidemic continues to spread, Daily Economic News reported.

China reported three more H7N9 infections on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 21 as the country gears up to fight the disease that has left six dead.

Since April 6, Shanghai and Nanjing have closed their live poultry market. Staff at Shenzhen’s biggest wholesale poultry market, Nanshan Wholesale Poultry Market, told said that the trading volume in the last two days had dropped 20 to 30 percent with the daily trading volume less than 80,000.

However, live poultry is not the only business affected. Meat sales have also depreciated after the H7N9 outbreak.

The Daily Economic News reporter found that there are fewer consumers in some chain supermarkets in Shanghai and meat prices have been lowered.

Although H7N9 bird flu has not spread throughout the country, citizens are weary of the bird flu , which is bound to deal a blow to the poultry market. Declines in sales in the short term are an inevitable trend.

The hospitality industry has also been affected, particularly those based on chicken meat such as KFC and McDonald’s. Although the flow of customers has not changed significantly, chicken products are not the preferred choice of consumers.

Many food companies have made adjustments in response to the avian influenza. A staff member at a Xiangeqing chain restaurant said the company had temporarily removed chicken dishes from the menu.

The tourism industry in Shanghai, the city where the H7N9 flu is most serious, has also been affected Despite the fact that a travel warning has not been issued, people who have booked an east China tour are worried. As a result, a large number of hotels have suffered.

The World Health Organization has not yet recommended limiting tourism and trade. However, as a precaution, the Public Health Agency of the Federal Government of Canada has issued a health travel notice suggesting people who are traveling to China to take special precautionary measures.

As a result of declining tourism, the aviation industry will also be struck by the flu, Ca Jianming, a researcher in the transportation industry at Investment Advisor said.

Air transportation in Yangtze River Delta has grown in demand in the last decade and the virus will have significant implications on the aviation industry in the region, Li Xiaojing, a professor at Civil Aviation University of China, said.

The current impact of the avian influenza on the aviation industry has already been reflected in the capital markets. The performance of several mainland airlines’ stocks have been very poor in the US and Hong Kong.

The country’s aviation demand suffered similar declines after the outbreak of both SARS in 2003 and H1N1 bird flu in 2009.

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