BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) By Li Xing -- China's Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced another human case of bird flu, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to six.

Medical staff members measure the locals' temperature in Jianyang, a city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 16, 2006. (Xinhua photo)

    The infected was a 35-year-old woman poultry butcher surnamed Wei from Zhoujiaxiang Village of Jianyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, said a report released by the ministry.

    Wei showed symptoms on Jan. 3 and was hospitalized on Jan. 10 with fever and pneumonia. She died on Jan. 11.

    Investigation showed that from Dec. 25, 2005 to Jan. 5, 2006, eight households living in the same courtyard with Wei had found some of their poultry sick and dead.

    The ministry did not say if there was an outbreak of bird flu at Wei's village.

    Wei's samples tested H5N1 positive by the Sichuan provincial center for disease control and prevention (CDC) on Jan. 12.

    Later, China's CDC re-tested her samples and also got positive results. H5N1 virus was isolated from her samples as well, said the ministry.

    She has been confirmed to be infected with bird flu in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese government, it said.

    Those having close contact with the new victim have been put under medical observation by local health authorities. So far, no abnormal symptoms have been reported.

A medical staff member disinfects a car in Jianyang, a city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 18, 2006.

    This is the ninth human case and the sixth fatality of bird flu reported in China.

    Early Wednesday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced that the Chinese government will donate 10 million U.S. dollars to support the global fight against bird flu.

    Wen made the pledge at the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza.

    Over 1.8 billion U.S. dollars of donation were collected for reinforcing global efforts in bird flu prevention and control at the conference on Wednesday, which was co-sponsored by the Chinese government, the European Commission and the World Bank.

    Nearly 700 delegates representing more than 100 countries and regions and 20 international organizations attended the conference. Enditem