A 31-year-old man in south China's Guangdong Province has been confirmed to have contracted bird flu, bringing the country's total human infections of the disease to 19, reported the Chinese Ministry of Health on Thursday.

The patient, surnamed Jiang, is a migrant worker in Shenzhen City. He showed symptoms of fever and pneumonia on June 3 and has been hospitalized. He is now in critical condition, said the ministry in a report.

Epidemiological research found Jiang had been to a local market several times before developing the symptoms, where live poultry were sold.

Jiang's samples tested H5N1 positive by the Shenzhen center for disease control and prevention (CDC) and the provincial and national CDCs.

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

Jiang was reported by the local health authorities as a suspected case of bird flu on Tuesday.

All 98 people who had close contact with Jiang tested clear of the disease, the local health bureau said on Thursday.

Health department of the neighboring Hong Kong on Tuesday warned the public to be vigilant against bird flu, while Macao health authorities annouced on Wednesday it will halt the import of live poultry from Shenzhen.

The ministry has reported the new case to the WHO, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as several countries.

This is the 19th human case of bird flu reported in China. Among the previous 18 cases, 12 have died.

Globally, 225 human infections, including 128 deaths, have been recorded by the WHO, according to its official website.

Health experts fear the bird flu virus would mutate into a form that can easily pass between people, causing a global pandemic.

Source: Xinhua