China's Yunnan reports another H7N9 fatality

Southwest China's Yunnan Province has reported another death from the H7N9 strain of bird flu.

The female patient, 23, was mother of the three-year old infant girl who died of H7N9 earlier this month, according to the Health and Family Planning Commission of Yunnan Province Wednesday.

The family of three went to east China's Jiangxi Province for the Spring Festival holiday on Jan. 21, and had contact with live poultry there.

The patient, who has only been identified by her surname Yang, developed symptoms on Feb. 4. She was hospitalized four days later as she had close contact with her daughter, who tested positive for H7N9 virus and died on Feb. 7.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died in hospital Tuesday night.

Other people who had been in close contact have all tested negative for the virus so far.

H7N9 bird flu has been reported in several provinces in China so far this year, with 79 people died in January from the virus nationwide, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The live poultry trade has been suspended in cities across the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan and Zhejiang.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in China in March 2013. Infections usually occur in winter and spring. Endi