BEIJING (AFP) - A 22-year-old man in central China has died of bird flu, the country´s ministry of health confirmed Monday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The man, surnamed Li, from Hunan province, developed a fever and headache on January 16 and was hospitalised on January 22. But his condition worsened and he died two days later, it added.

China´s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said his specimens tested positive for the H5N1 strain. The report did not identify how he might have contracted the disease, Xinhua said.

The local government put in place prevention and control measures and those who had close contact with Li were put under strict medical observation. So far, none has shown signs of the disease, the ministry said.

The death was earlier Monday reported by Hong Kong´s health department.

With the latest fatality, at least 18 people have died of bird flu in China. Ten other patients recovered.

China´s previous fatal case was a 24-year-old man in the eastern province of Jiangsu who died in December.

While the disease is usually associated with contact with infected birds, China has a widespread poultry vaccination programme and only one confirmed human bird flu case has followed a matching outbreak in poultry.

H5N1 has killed more than 200 people and ravaged poultry flocks worldwide since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.

Scientists fear the virus will eventually mutate into a form that is much more easily transmissible between humans, triggering a global pandemic.