A bird flu patient surnamed Shu has recovered and was released from the hospital on Tuesday in central China's Hunan province.

Shu is the third patient to recover from avian influenza in 2009.

The patient was given a clean bill of health by a team of expert and has no bird flu symptoms, said Chen Fangping, head of Xiangya Hospital in Changsha, capital of Hunan.

Shu, a female farmer, 21, fell ill on Jan. 23 after she returned home in Xupu county from east China's Guangdong Province. She was confirmed to have bird flu on Jan. 29.

An expert team was set up for her in the hospital immediately. After nearly one month of medical care, she could return to normal life.

"Thanks to the doctors and nurses. They took good care of me and stole me from the death god," she told Xinhua.

Shu said she will return to work soon.

China had found eight bird flu cases since last December. Only three have survived the disease. The other two include a child surnamed Peng in Shanxi Province and a 29-year-old man surnamed Zhou in Guizhou Province.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2009)