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Fourth death from bird flu reported in China

(Xinhua/Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-01-24 17:27

URUMQI -- A woman has died of bird flu in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, becoming the fourth death from the disease in the country so far this year, local health department said Saturday.

A child feeds pigeons in the capital city of Beijing in this undated file photo. A woman has died of bird flu in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, becoming the fourth death from the disease in the country so far this year, local health department said Saturday. [Agencies]

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The 31-year-old woman, who was only indentified by her surname Zhang, died at 4:40 a.m. Friday.

The death rate for bird flu patients is above 60 percent, which has already claimed four victims in China so far this year. The first death was a 19-year-old woman in Beijing on January 5, followed by a 27-year-old woman in Shandong on January 17 and a 16-year-old boy in Hunan on January 20.

Another 2-year-old toddler patient who was in a critical condition for more than a week in Shanxi province after contracting bird flu is out of danger, health authorities said on Friday.