Vendors at Sanguantang, Shanghai's biggest live poultry wholesale market, said turnover had dropped 90 per cent and chicken prices plummeted from about six yuan to 1.6 yuan per kg - making chicken cheaper than eggplants, cucumber and tomatoes.

No compensation has so far been offered to those whose livelihoods depend on selling live poultry.

In line with local government directives, poultry cannot be killed at markets out of fears that the virus may spread.

Markets selling pre-slaughtered chickens have been urged to enforce a strict quarantine system to ensure only poultry products carrying a quarantine certificate are sold in the city.

Owners of poultry farms must report the number and species of their birds to local authorities and put them into quarantine.

So far more than 14,000 litres of bird flu vaccine have been used in Shanghai. Eight of the city's designated import stations have been specially equipped to receive poultry products, with strict quarantine and vehicle disinfection facilities on hand.

The Shanghai Pigeon Association issued a directive to its 8,000-plus members yesterday, banning routine flights of the city's estimated 400,000 racing pigeons and stipulating they be kept in quarantine. The exchange of pigeons with South Korea, Japan or Thailand has also been banned.

Shanghai resident Wu Wei believes the measures will work for the time being, but warned 'pigeon owners can't keep their birds from flying for too long'.

Shanghai's biggest migratory bird reserve, the Chongming East Island Bird Zone, closed its doors to the public on Sunday. No bird watching or scientific study is allowed and only employees can enter the area.

The bird garden at Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo has closed while vaccinations are carried out.

At both the Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo and Shanghai Zoo, carnivores and predators have had their diets changed from chicken to alternative food animals.