China on alert of H7N9

NANJING - Three more people were confirmed to be infected with the H7N9 bird flu in three Chinese provinces, health authorities said Sunday.

Infection of a man, 83, from Huai'an City in east China's Jiangsu Province was confirmed on Sunday morning, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

The man, surnamed Han, brought eight chickens he had raised to a market for slaughtering. He is in critical condition, according to the commission.

So far, 13 cases of human H7N9 cases have been reported in Jiangsu Province this year, including 4 deaths, according to the commission.

Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man surnamed Qin was confirmed to be infected with the virus Saturday. The patient is in critical condition and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, where he lives, according to a statement issued by the provincial health and family planning commission.

Another case was reported in Hunan Province, where a 46-year-old man tested positive for the H7N9 bird flu virus in Loudi City. The man, surnamed Yan, is the tenth case reported in Hunan. He is now receiving treatment at a local hospital, and his condition remains unknown, according to the provincial health department.

There have been more than 120 human H7N9 cases reported in China so far this year and at least 32 deaths, according to the latest official tally of the country's health and family planning commission.