Man dies of H7N9 bird flu in China

A man in the Chinese province of Zhejiang has died of the H7N9 strain of bird flu, state media said Wednesday, bringing the total deaths attributed to the virus to three since the first human cases.

He was one of two more H7N9 avian influenza infections reported in Zhejiang, in the east of the country, the official Xinhua news agency said citing local authorities, bringing the total number of cases to nine.

The latest fatality was a 38-year-old man who worked as a chef, Zhejiang media reported. The province's other case was a 67-year-old retiree who was being treated in hospital, the Zhejiang Daily newspaper said.

Two other deaths have been reported, both in China's commercial hub of Shanghai. Other cases have been happened in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, the government has said.

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday played down fears over the new type of bird flu, but said it was crucial to find out how the virus infected humans.