The BBC says Chinese state media reported the virus was found on chopping boards used for imported salmon at the Xinfadi market – sparking fears across the country.
Supermarkets and restaurants across Beijing hurried to pull salmon from their shelves, and imports from Europe were halted.
On Wednesday it was announced that a 22-year-old man – known to have occasionally cleaned frozen seafood – had tested positive for the virus in Tianjin, near Beijing.
But China’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said that it was unlikely that salmon carried the virus.
