Health authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, have confirmed one human H7N9 case.

The patient from Yinzhou District is being treated in hospital, the city's health bureau said in a statement Tuesday.

The patient has had contact with live poultry, it said.

Ningbo has kept urban poultry markets closed since July and taken measures to prevent bird flu in the countryside markets.

But as the winter comes, rural residents are at more risk of contracting the virus as many turn to breeding poultry in their homes in the cold conditions, it said.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013 in China. It is most likely to strike in winter and spring.

Last winter, human cases of H7N9 were reported in Chinese provinces and municipalities including Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Zhejiang. This winter, Guangdong and Shanghai have reported two cases.

Health specialists advised that people steer clear of live poultry to reduce risk of infection.

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