A 36-year-old man from Vietnam´s northern Thai Binh province has just been found to have contracted bird flu virus H5N1, while a woman who died on Jan. 21 was confirmed to be infected with the virus.

   Samples from the patient named Hung, who is receiving treatmentat the Tropical Disease Institute in Hanoi capital city, were tested positive to H5N1, local newspaper Pioneer on Monday quoted Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Tran Chi Liem as saying.

    Earlier, samples from Hung´s two brothers were also tested positive to the virus. The tests were made by the National Hygieneand Epidemiology Institute. The three brothers ate duck and a dishmade from duck´s raw blood at a local market on Dec. 29, 2004 before exhibiting symptoms of bird flu.

    The 47-year-old brother named Nguyen Huu Viet died on Jan. 9 at the Tropical Disease Institute in Hanoi. The 42-year-old brother named Nguyen Thanh Hung, who spent some time looking after his elder brother, was admitted to the institute on Jan. 13. The 36-year-old brother received medical checkups at the institute last week.

    Nguyen Thanh Hung, who lives in Hanoi, and his younger brother,who lives in Thai Binh, now are under treatment at the institute. They are in stable health conditions.