The Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed the first human death from the H5N1 bird flu in China.

The ministry also confirmed another human case of the disease and reported a suspected case.

A female farmer in Anhui Province, who developed a fever and pneumonia-like symptoms on November 1, died from breathing problems on November 10. The ministry confirmed yesterday she had contacted the bird flu virus.

Several chickens and ducks she kept at her home died one to two weeks before she became ill and she had contact with sick and dead birds, the ministry said.

The ministry also confirmed yesterday that a 9-year-old boy in Hunan Province's Xiangtan County had the disease, but has since recovered.

The boy surnamed He came down with a fever and pneumonia-like symptoms on October 10. There was an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in his village.

Lab tests on samples of the boy's blood serum showed his H5 antibodies were more than four times normal levels, which indicates that he was infected by the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Based on clinical and lab tests, experts from the ministry and the World Health Organization confirmed the boy as a human case of H5N1 bird flu. He was discharged from hospital on November 12 after recovery. Authorities still can't say for sure if his 12-year-old sister, who had similar symptoms and died on October 17, had the virus.

Experts from the ministry strongly suspect the girl was infected by bird flu, but cannot confirm those suspicions according to WHO standards due to insufficient evidence from laboratory tests.

Roy Wadia, a WHO spokesman in Beijing, said that by the WHO's strict definition, the girl in Hunan could not be confirmed as a human case as the samples collected from her were too limited.

"It is not surprising to see human cases of bird flu reported in China," he said.

Meanwhile, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine yesterday issued an emergent circular to the country's entry and exit ports, urging them to strengthen prevention and control efforts against human bird flu.