The Ministry of Health has confirmed a new human case of bird flu in eastern Anhui Province, according to the Anhui Provincial Health Department.

The 16-year-old boy surnamed Wu in Bengbu City died on Tuesday night, a spokesman for the health department said.

The boy developed a fever, sensitivity to cold, muscle aches, and also showed signs of pneumonia on March 17. He was sent to hospital on March 18 but his illness worsened quickly and doctors were unable to save his life, the spokesman said.

Tests conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed that he had been infected with bird flu virus strain H5N1.

Local health authorities said they are monitoring those who had close contact with the patient. So far, they have showed no symptoms of the disease, and there has been no bird flu epidemic reported in Bengbu.

According to Anhui health authorities, the Ministry of Health has conveyed the information to the WHO, health agencies in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and some foreign countries.

China has reported a total of 24 human cases of bird flu since 2003, including 15 deaths.

On February 28, a 44-year-old woman in east China's Fujian Province was confirmed by the ministry to have contracted the bird flu virus. The patient, surnamed Li who is still being treated in hospital, had eaten chicken together with her family before the infection, but her husband and son have not fallen ill.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)