Beijing  - A 21-year-old woman was confirmed infected with bird flu in central China's Hunan Province, state-run media reported Saturday.

   The peasant farmer surnamed Shu fell ill on January 23 and was hospitalized at the county's People's Hospital three days later, Xinhua quoted the provincial health bureau as saying.

   Shu was transferred to a hospital in provincial capital Changsha on on Thursday, where she was listed in stable condition.

   An investigation found that Shu had contact with fowl that died of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

China has already reported five deaths from bird flu this year.

   According to the World Health Organisation, China reported a total of 38 cases of humans infected with H5N1 bird flu since 2003, with 25 deaths. The year 2006 saw the peak of bird flu reports by China, with 13 cases and 8 deaths.