An Indonesian woman has been confirmed dead of bird flu by the World Health Organization (WHO),bringing the total of bird flu death to 12, a health official said on Saturday.

The testing of the blood sample of the 29-year-old woman conducted by WHO-sanctioned laboratory in Hong Kong shows positive, a director of the health ministry Hariadi Wibisono told Xinhua by telephone.

The woman died at a hospital here late Wednesday.

"The test result from the Hong Kong laboratory was positive," he said.

The patient died after being treated for three days in the Sulianto Saroso Hospital, said Wibisono.

The confirmation brought the total people contracted by the H5N1 virus to 17 in Indonesia, according to the WHO.