Bird flu suspected in Guangdong, Hong Kong alerted

A suspected human bird flu case has been uncovered in the southern province of Guangdong, the Hong Kong government announced Monday, Reuters reported. The Center for Health Protection said it had received word from the provincial health department as well as the Ministry of Health that a 44-year-old woman is believed to have been infected with the H5N1 virus. The woman developed symptoms on February 16, although the case has yet to be confirmed. Last week, a man from Guangxi autonomous region succumbed to the virus, becoming China’s third bird flu fatality since late last year. Of the 29 human cases reported in China so far, 19 have proved fatal.