A man died from bird flu in central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday, local health authorities confirmed on Thursday.

The victim was a 21-year-old man surnamed Lai who was employed as a migrant worker in Wuhan, capital of Hubei.

Lai started showing symptoms of fever and pneumonia on April 1.He was hospitalized in Wuhan after being diagnosed with the lethal H5N1 strain on Monday.

Local health authorities have undertaken the prescribed safety measures, placing under observation all people who have been in close contact with the patient, the authority sources said, adding that so far none of them have shown any abnormal symptoms.

China has reported 17 human cases of bird flu, which have resulted in 12 deaths.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)