KUNMING -- Southwest China's Yunnan province reported a human infection of the H7N9 bird flu virus, local health authorities said Monday.

The patient, a 64-year-old male from Kunming, was confirmed as having the infection on Nov 30. A dozen chicken raised by the patient died successively before the man fell ill, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

The patient has been hospitalized and those who had contact with him have been checked and are not infected.

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