Shoppers say they are ‘not worried’ despite confirmation that two-year-old boy contracted H9N2 after visiting Wo Che Market in Sha Tin
A poultry stall at a market in Hong Kong has undergone disinfection after an environmental sample tested positive for the H9 bird flu virus, with most shoppers remaining largely unconcerned despite a recent infection case involving a two-year-old boy.
The affected stall, the only live poultry vendor still operating inside Sha Tin’s Wo Che Market, temporarily halted its operations on Tuesday morning for cleaning.
The shop owner and three employees were observed scrubbing live chicken cages and wiping down price tags, while officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) supervised 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.