To beat the H7N9 bird flu virus, Shanghai authorities have closed all live poultry markets in the city from 31 January 30 April, when the virus tends to be at its peak.

An official from the Shanghai Agricultural Commission told Shanghai Daily that the sales were illegal and could endanger lives because of close contacts between people and live poultry.

In November, the authorities announced the ban on live poultry trades as a precaution against the seasonal pathogenesis of bird flu. But a woman, with her telephone number and QQ account displayed on her e-commerce site on taobao.com, told the newspaper that she still had chickens to sell. She said her retail store on Shuidian Road in Hongkou District has been shut since 31 January.

She said the chickens, weighing about one kilo, were sold for 60 yuan (US$9.78). She delivered them herself, adding the chickens were raised by her parents in Chongming County.

The e-shop owner insisted her chickens were all healthy and free of virus but did not have certificates to prove them.

The woman, who could not be identified, would not say how many live chickens she had sold since the ban came into effect.

Elsewhere, a rural farm was found to be selling chickens for 128 yuan and 168 yuan, Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Some farm owners claim they did not violate any government regulation, saying the ban order was limited to live poultry markets. They said their chickens were safe as the local epidemic prevention departments regularly checked their farms.