Third bird flu death reported

A 16-year-old student has died from the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Hunan province, state media reported. The student, a male surnamed Wu, fell ill on January 8 in Guizhou province and was transferred to Hunan after his condition worsened. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP) said he had contact with poultry and had tested positive for the virus. People who had close contact with Wu are under observation but no one has fallen ill so far. The fatality rate for bird flu is approximately 60%, CCDP officials said. Wu is the third confirmed death from bird flu this year. There have been four reported cases since the start of 2009.