The condition of China's eighth bird flu patient showed signs of improvement on Thursday.

The six-year-old boy, surnamed Ouyang, who had been confirmed as China's eighth human case of H5N1 bird flu infection, was in critical condition previously, having suffered serious lung damage as of Tuesday.

However, his breathing improved on Thursday and his lung shadows have reduced, according to Zhu Yimin, president with the Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital, where Ouyang is receiving medical treatment.

Ouyang suffered fever and pneumonia symptoms on December 24. He was admitted to the provincial-level hospital early on Monday and is under round-the-clock monitoring.

The hospital suspended their original plan of broadcasting Ouyang's life on the Internet, taking into consideration that the boy's is still in danger.

Zhu said that many people have called the hospital expressing their concern for the boy, which was what initially inspired the idea of a live Internet broadcast of the boy's time in hospital.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2006)