China's 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 student surnamed Wu in Bengbu City of Anhui died on Tuesday night, a spokesman for the health department said.

The boy developed symptoms of fever, fear of cold and muscle aches, and also demonstrations of pneumonia on March 17. He was sent to hospital on March 18 but medical operation failed to save his life as his illness worsened quickly, the spokesman said.

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

Local health authorities said they are closely 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, China's Health Ministry has conveyed the information to the World Health Organization, health agencies in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and some countries.

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

On Feb. 28, a 44-year-old woman in east China's Fujian Province was confirmed by the health ministry to have contracted 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)