NEW YORK >> Live poultry markets in New York City raced to sell off all their chickens and other fowl Friday after seven cases of avian flu were detected and state officials ordered markets in the metropolitan area to close for a week.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said there was no immediate threat to public health and that the temporary closure of bird markets in the city and its Westchester County and Long Island suburbs came out of an abundance of caution. Avian flu has hit farms nationwide, led to the slaughter of millions of birds and driven up egg prices, though officials say no cases have been detected among humans in New York.

The state order came after birds infected with the virus were found during routine inspections of live bird markets in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Those markets have to dispose of all poultry in a sanitary manner, according to the state’s order.

Other bird markets that do not have cases will have to sell off remaining poultry within three days, clean and disinfect and then remain closed for at least five days and be inspected by state officials before reopening.

That meant employees at La Granja, a halal-certified poultry market in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood, were rushing to sell the remainder of its inventory: around 200 live chickens of different varieties, along with turkeys, quail, ducks, roosters, pigeons and rabbits.

Any remaining animals would be slaughtered and given away to employees and longtime customers, according to Jose Fernandez, the owner.