Human H5N6 avian flu case reported in South China

GUANGZHOU - A human H5N6 avian flu case has been confirmed in the southern Guangdong province, Chinese health authorities said on Tuesday.

The patient, a 58-year-old resident in the provincial capital Guangzhou, is receiving treatment at a local hospital, said the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission. He is in critical condition.

The man tested positive for the H5N6 avian flu virus during a routine influenza and severe pneumonia check by provincial health authorities.

A further test by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the result on Monday.

No abnormal symptoms have ever been found among those who had close contact with the patient so far. Experts believe the infection is an individual case.

In April, a 49-year-old man from southwest China's Sichuan Province was confirmed to have contracted the H5N6 virus and died in hospital. The case was believed to be the world's first human H5N6 infection.