All of the live chickens sold at wholesale markets in the city come from Jiangsu Province or Shanghai, and all wholesale and retail markets are disinfected several times a day, market managers announced yesterday in an attempt to assure people it is safe to eat chickens as sales have dropped drastically.

Sales of live chickens at the Sanguantang Poultry and Eggs Wholesale Market, the largest market of its kind in the city, have dropped by 90 percent since bird flu became a major concern over last month. The market currently sells only 5,000 live chickens a day.

Prices have also dropped drastically.

The wholesale price of live chickens has dropped 30 percent over the last month to about 5 yuan (62 US cents) per kilogram, which is even cheaper than some vegetables.

Sanguantang is one of only three wholesale markets in the city allowed to sell live chickens.

Another 461 retail markets are allowed to sell live chickens.

Wang Baorong, the general manager of Sanguantang, said blood tests are conducted on live chickens every day, to ensure there isn't an outbreak of bird flu.

All chickens sold on the market must have three certificates, to document that they are free of bird flu, they have been through quarantine and the trucks they were transported on were properly disinfected, Wang said.

The market itself is disinfected several times a day and all vehicles must be disinfected every time they enter or leave the market, he added.

The Shanghai Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station also said yesterday it has offered 530,000 milliliters of bird flu vaccine free of charge to local farmers in recent weeks.

Zhang Suhua, the station director, said there is enough supply of the vaccine to meet the city's demands.

"There is no supply shortage of the vaccine," Zhang said, adding that Shanghai has vaccinated all poultry in the city since a bird flu outbreak in Nanhui District last January.

He said the city has also put aside a reserve of 2 million milliliters of the vaccine in case of a sudden outbreak.

He reaffirmed that no fake vaccines had been found in the city.

Despite all of the public assurances the city is doing everything possible to prevent a bird flu epidemic, some people are buying insurance against catching the disease.

Minsheng Life Insurance and Sinosafe General Insurance Co Ltd became the first to start selling specific bird flu insurance last week.

Sinosafe said it has sold more than 50 policies in Shanghai so far.

Sinosafe's policies cost 100 yuan for one year of coverage, and policy holders will receive 200,000 yuan if they are diagnosed with the bird flu.

Minsheng charges 200 yuan for its policies, and promises to pay out 100,000, but only to policy holders who die from the disease.

Other insurance companies including Ping'an Insurance Group Co and China Pacific Life Insurance say they don't have any plans at the moment to sell specific bird flu insurance as their life insurance policies already cover deadly diseases such as the flu.