The 37-year-old man surnamed Li developed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on December 10 and was discharged from hospital on Saturday in Tunxi in Anhui province after a full recovery, the ministry said.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that he tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain.

People who have had close contact with Li were quarantined for medical observation until December 29, it added.

There have been no bird flu outbreaks in poultry in the area, the report said.

The country has reported a total of 22 human cases of bird flu, including 14 fatalities, since 2003.

China last reported a human case of bird flu in July, when a farmer died of H5N1 in the northwestern region in Xinjiang.