A 31-year old woman in northeast China's Liaoning Province was confirmed by the Ministry of Health yesterday to have been infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The woman, named Liu, is a farmer from Heishan County and became ill on October 30 with fever and symptoms of pneumonia. She recovered and was discharged from hospital on November 29.

She was found to have had contact with sick birds before she fell ill, and her local area has been confirmed as one affected by bird flu.

The first time the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control tested her, the results were negative, but on December 5 a second test was positive, according to a ministry press release.

Local medical departments have put those who have had close contact with her under medical observation, but nothing unusual has so far been reported.

The ministry said it has made timely reports to the WHO, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and some foreign nations.

It is China's fifth confirmed human case of bird flu and Liaoning's first.

The quarantine in two areas affected by outbreaks of bird flu amongst poultry in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, both in northwest China, was lifted on Thursday after 21 days' isolation and monitoring, according to local authorities.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2005)