News - CNN.com - China reports 2nd?bird flu death - Nov 23, 2005

A second Chinese woman is reported to have died from bird flu in the eastern Anhui province, the third confirmed human case in the country.

The 35-year-old female farmer with the surname Xu died Tuesday after falling ill on November 11, the Ministry of Health announced Wednesday according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

She had contact with sick and dead poultry, according to the report.

The World Health Organization has confirmed the woman died from H5N1 avian influenza, according to spokesman Dick Thompson.

"It was not unexpected," Thompson said. "There will be sporadic human cases as long as the virus is circulating in animals."

The case "doesn't change our pandemic level or risk assessment," he added.

A 24-year-old female poultry worker in Anhui died from the virus on November 10, and a 9-year-old boy who fell ill with the virus last month in Hunan Province is still alive.

China's Ministry of Health has reported a fourth human case of bird flu -- the boy's 12-year-old sister, who died on October 17 -- but the World Health Organization said there were no samples to test if she had the virus because she was cremated.

Avian influenza has spread rapidly among birds, first in Southeast Asia and more recently in Europe, but human cases have been reported only in Asia.

CNN.com - China reports 2nd?bird flu death - Nov 23, 2005