The Ministry of Health has confirmed a new human case of bird flu in east China's Anhui Province, the Anhui Provincial Health Department announced Wednesday.

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, the spokesman said.

Tests by the Chinese Center 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 contacts with the patient. So far, they 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.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)