Farmers sue National Health and Family Planning Commission for renaming "H7N9 avian influenza"

According to Voice of China News, H7N9? H7N9 virus? Or H7N9 bird flu? Since March last year, the new reassortment H7N9 virus first appeared in China, the virus can be said to be a variety of statements and explanations, endless ears: official statements, experts have questions, there are rumors among the people, but no matter what, most people still will "H7N9 virus" and "birds" linked, because whether officials, experts, or ordinary people all call the virus "H7N9 avian influenza"! This has also led to many consumers smell chicken color change, according to and far away. For most people, it doesn't seem to matter what they call H7N9, as long as they don't eat poultry. But in the eyes of poultry companies, the term "bird flu" is killing them.

A poultry farming company in Jilin claimed to have lost nearly 16 million yuan in 2013 because of the name "H7N9 avian influenza." Recently, the chairman of the company sued the National Health and Family Planning Commission in court. He asked the National Health and Family Planning Commission to replace "H7N9 avian influenza" with "H7N9 virus" according to the recommendations of relevant international organizations. So, is H7N9 related to avian influenza? What is the basis for the name "H7N9 avian influenza"?

For Cheng Enbao, chairman of Chengpeng Poultry Co., Ltd. in Dehui City, Jilin Province, these years have been difficult. He survived the "antibiotic chicken","fast-growing chicken" storm, thought the bitter days ended, finally, in March 31 last year, China reported that people infected with the H7N9 virus epidemic, his business or collapsed.

Cheng Enbao: I entered 110,000 sets of breeders in 2012. I entered on November 21. I invested 11 million in 110,000 sets. The chickens will sprout even when they are just about to see eggs. Bird flu is reported here. In society, chickens dare not raise chickens, and chickens dare not eat chicken. Our data for the first two years is nearly 3 yuan per chicken seedling. When bird flu is reported, the average chicken seedling in 2013 is less than 6 cents per chicken. 110,000 chickens. I lost more than 16 million. The more you raise, the more you lose.

Cheng attributed this to the National Health and Family Planning Commission's name for the virus: H7N9 avian influenza. He said that international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have discussed and recommended the use of names such as "H7N9" and "H7N9 virus." The National Health and Family Planning Commission added the word "bird" without legal basis and announced it to the public with "H7N9 avian influenza", which is inconsistent with the general behavior of international organizations.

Cheng Enbao: Others can name it, how to say it. The title of the National Health and Family Planning Commission is irresponsible, and there is no definite information that it is an avian transmission. I think it is unfair to us. It is directly equivalent to stabbing us to death.

In the petition Cheng Enbao has just submitted to Beijing City No.1 Intermediate People's Court, he made two main claims:

Cheng Enbao: The title of "human infection with H7N9 avian influenza" is wrong and should be revoked; the title of "human infection with H7N9 avian influenza" should be re-made into specific administrative actions.

Reporter: How exactly is it implemented?

Cheng Enbao: The National Health and Family Planning Commission can call "people infected with H7N9 influenza" or "people infected with H7N9 virus", which can all be done.