A middle-aged woman is in serious condition in southern China with suspected bird flu, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said in a statement early Monday.
The 44-year-old woman in Guangdong Province developed symptoms on February 16 consistent with the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, the CHP said.
The case has yet to be confirmed by the health ministry and the CHP is in close contact with health authorities in Guangdong, the statement said.
A 41-year-old man died of bird flu in the Guangxi autonomous region in southern China on February 20, while a 22-year-old man in the central Hunan Province died of the disease on January 24.
At least 19 people have died of bird flu in China, while ten others have recovered.
The deadly strain has killed more than 200 people worldwide and ravaged poultry flocks since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.
Scientists fear the virus can eventually mutate into a form that is much more easily transmissible between humans, triggering a global pandemic.
