Mainland Chinese authorities confirmed on Monday they had closed a live poultry market in the Hunan province after rumors spread that a woman contracted avian influenza there.

Mainland media on Monday reported the closure of the market in Ningyuan in the southern-central province, citing a source from the Ningyuan County Center for Disease Control and Prevention who said the facility had been closed due to “prevention of avian influenza.” The disease occurs naturally among wild birds which will sometimes infect humans.

The market was closed from 8 a.m. on Dec. 19 until further notice, and all shops in and around the area were ordered to stop trading and had their poultry destroyed, according to a notice from the market’s information office.

A woman was diagnosed with bird flu a few days ago, according to the source, who declined to disclose whether the infection was in any way related to the market.

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