Central China's province reports first H7N9 human infection

Central China's Hubei Province confirmed its first human infection of the H7N9 strain of bird flu, the local health authority said.

A 50-year-old poultry trader and butcher from Luotian County developed symptoms after contact with infected live chickens, according to the provincial health and family planning commission.

He is in the hospital in stable condition, the commission said.

It was the first H7N9 human infection in Hubei since 2013, when reports of the virus in humans emerged in China, according to China's (Xinhua) News Agency.

The county has launched an emergency response, with closures of live poultry markets, culling of chicken and enhanced monitoring of hospitals.

Human cases of H7N9 were reported this winter in several Chinese provinces and municipalities, including Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Zhejiang.