A man in east China's Jiangsu Province died of bird flu on Sunday, the provincial health department reported.

The 24-year-old man, surnamed Lu, developed fever, chills and other symptoms on November 24 and was hospitalized on November 27 after being diagnosed "lower left pneumonia". Lu's illness deteriorated in the hospital and died on Sunday.

A respiratory tract sample examination by Jiangsu Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Center on Saturday showed the man's avian flu virus nucleic acid was H5 positive and N1 positive.

However, the man had no contact with dead poultry, the health department said.

A test done by the China Disease Control and Prevention Center on Sunday also indicated that the man was H5N1 positive and the Chinese Ministry of Health has confirmed Lu was infected with bird flu.

The local government has adopted relative prevention and control measures. All of the 69 people who had close contact with Lu have been put under strict medical observation. So far, they have shown no signs of symptoms.

The Ministry of Health has reported the case to the World Health Organization and some countries and regions.

Jiangsu Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau said no bird flu epidemic has been found in the province so far.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2007)