According to the provincial disease control and prevention center, the patient, a 35-year-old male, is in serious condition. He was confirmed to have had close contact with poultry before being hospitalized.

Two H7N9 cases were reported in Shenzhen City in South China's Guangdong province on Friday.

H7N9, a bird flu strain most likely to strike in winter and spring, was first reported to have infected humans in China in March 2013.