China's Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced another human case of bird flu, bringing the country's total death toll from the disease to six.

The infected was a 35-year-old woman surnamed Wei from Zhoujiaxiang Village of Jianyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, said a report released by the ministry.

Wei showed symptoms on Jan. 3 and was hospitalized on Jan. 10 with fever and pneumonia. She died on Jan. 11.

Investigation showed that from Dec. 25, 2005 to Jan. 5, 2006, eight households living in the same courtyard with Wei had found some of their poultry sick and dead.

Wei's samples tested H5N1 positive by the Sichuan provincial center for disease control and prevention (CDC) on Jan. 12.

Later, China's CDC re-tested her samples and also got positive results. H5N1 virus was isolated from her samples as well, said the ministry.

She has been confirmed to be infected with bird flu in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government, it said.

Those having close contact with the new victim have been put under medical observation by local health authorities. So far, no abnormal symptoms have been reported.

This is the ninth human case and the sixth fatality of bird flu reported in China.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2006)