A 51-year-old man from Vietnam's northern Thanh Hoa province has been hospitalized after exhibiting bird flu symptoms, local newspaper Vietnam Agriculture reported on Wednesday.

The man named Le Truong Hong is under treatment at the Thanh Hoa General Hospital, the hospital's director Hoang Sy Binh said, adding that he still had high fever and breathing difficulties on Tuesday afternoon.

The patient's specimens are being tested for bird flu viruses, Binh said, adding the man bought two ducks, slaughtered and ate them before he fell ill several days ago.

Vietnam's Health Ministry on Tuesday announced that the country has detected 66 human cases of H5N1 infections, including 22 fatalities, in 25 cities and provinces since December 2004, bringing the total infection cases and death tolls since December 2003 to 93 and 42 respectively.

A total of 22 localities nationwide have detected poultry deaths since Oct. 1. However, recent tests have showed that fowls in central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, and southern Dong Thap province have not been infected with bird flu virus. Meanwhile, capital Hanoi and southern Bac Lieu province have met criteria for announcing an end to bird flu outbreaks (detecting nonew affected spot for at least three weeks). Therefore, the current number of bird flu-hit localities, is only 17, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Since early last month, Vietnam has culled over 1.7 million poultry, including both infected ones and healthy ones. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and central Da Nang city have decided to stop raising poultry in their inner areas this month.