Shenzhen health officials yesterday reported a new human case of suspected bird flu.

The victim was identified as a 31-year-old man surnamed Jiang, who was listed in critical condition last night.

He began complaining of fever, coughing and back pain on June 3 and was admitted to Shenzhen People's Hospital last Friday, according to authorities in the Guangdong Province city in China's south.

The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control said Jiang tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. The Guangdong provincial health bureau then reported the case to the Ministry of Health for verification.

The patient was transferred to the city's Donghu Hospital yesterday for advanced treatment after his body temperature measured 40 degrees Celsius.

Medical staff were disinfecting all possible contamination sites in the city.

If state health officials confirm the preliminary diagnose, Jiang would become China's 19th human case of the disease. Twelve of the victims have died.