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BEIJING (AFP) - Sales of face masks have rocketed at China's largest trade fair over fears triggered by swine flu, state media reported Wednesday.
The global outbreak of A(H1N1) has caused a huge surge in interest in health items at the China Import and Export Fair in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the Xinhua news agency said.
"Customers came to our booth, putting their hands to their mouths to signal that they want to buy masks. There are so many customers we are running out of stock," said Li Yan, a saleswoman from Conghua Puyuan Health Articles Factory, was quoted as saying.
Fuzelong, a Guangzhou-based medical material company, told Xinhua it had won orders for three million masks over a three-day period, compared with no more than 500,000 masks during previous fairs.
Thermometers have also been greatly in demand at the event, which is also known as the Canton Fair, Xinhua said.
Mainland China has no confirmed cases of swine flu. Hong Kong has one - a Mexican man who fell ill shortly after arriving in the territory, but authorities say there is currently no sign of the disease spreading.
The fair, which takes place twice a year, usually attracts a large number of participants, even in times of economic crisis.
The previous event, in October and November last year, was attended by a total of 22,341 exhibitors, while 174,562 overseas buyers were recorded, according to the fair's website.
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