MUMBAI: India may be insulated from the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, but the myths and fears surrounding the disease are taking a toll. Small numbers of people are shying away from consuming chicken, causing prices to drop by 20%. There is no established link between the disease and consumption of the bird.Across Bandra Kurla , Andheri and Chembur poultry shops report that the fear of the virus is driving down sale, which is leading to lower income. Traders are forced to reduce rates in the hope of drawing buyers. In Bandra, a family that bought chicken legs for Rs 200 per kilo not so long ago, purchased for Rs 160 on Monday.The owner of a local store Aziz Broiler said farmers are suffering losses by disposing of birds at a 20% lower rate. Another shop Yaadgaar has dropped retail prices "marginally" to Rs 90 per kg to lure consumers.Sayed Aslam Ahmed, who runs Super Poultry in Chembur said, "There is no connection between the coronavirus and eating chicken. Consumption has dropped merely because of scaremongering and rumours. Old WhatsApp forwards dating back to the era of bird flu are back in circulation, asking non-vegetarians to abstain from chicken. These are canards spread by certain vested interests like the anti-meat lobby and pharma groups."Traders say poultry farmers are suffering losses, and if they stop rearing new chicks now, there will be a shortage of chicken once the scare subsides and demand picks up at Ramzan . "It takes 40 days to rear a chicken to desirable weight. If the cycle is interrupted now, supply will fall short and chicken prices will rise manifold later on. Buyers may be happy that they are buying cheap chicken now but they will have to pay more in coming weeks," said Ahmed.Interestingly, no impact is visible on mutton and eggs since the rumours only target chicken. In Goregaon, Abdul Hafeez Qureshi owns Mumbai Mutton and Chicken Shop. He said, "Even the WHO (World Health Organisation) has not hinted at any link between the outbreak of coronavirus and chicken. Yet people are psychologically affected by baseless forwards on social media."