H7N9 avian flu virus caused 124 deaths out of 192 reported cases in China in January and Chinese demand for live or freshly slaughtered chickens is contributing to the outbreak , particularly on the south and on the eastern seaboard provinces , according to Ni Daxin , deputy director of emergency response for China 's Center for Disease Control . He is advising that Chinese people buy frozen chickens instead . The tradition of slaughtering chickens as part of January 's Lunar New Year holiday also causes the disease , Chinese - owned chicken China Youth has claimed .
H7N9 avian flu virus caused 79 deaths out of 192 reported cases in China in January and Chinese demand for live or freshly slaughtered chickens is contributing to the outbreak, particularly on the south and on the eastern seaboard provinces, according to Ni Daxin, deputy director of emergency response for China's Center for Disease Control. He is advising that Chinese people buy frozen chicken instead. The tradition of slaughtering chickens as part of January's Lunar New Year holiday also spread the disease, party-owned newspaper China Youth Daily claimed.