Police in south-west China have detained three people for spreading false rumours online that a new strain of bird flu had spread to their province, state media reported.

The Xinhua News Agency said two people were being detained for five days for writing on their microblogs that the H7N9 virus had been detected in a live poultry market in Guizhou province. The report said their message was reposted many times, causing fear to local people.

Xinhua said a third person actively participated in spreading the rumour and was being detained for 10 days.

China has reported 28 cases of people having been infected with the virus, and nine of these have died. All cases have been reported in Shanghai and eastern provinces.

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