A bird flu patient (C) poses with nurses before he leaves the isolation ward at the Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 3, 2009. The 29-year-old man whose surname is Zhou contracted bird flu last month. He was now in stable condition according to doctors.(Xinhua/Yang Ying) Photo Gallery>>>

    GUIYANG, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A 29-year-old man who contracted bird flu last month in southwest China's Guizhou Province is in stable condition, doctors said Monday.

    The patient surnamed Zhou was hospitalized for fever on Jan. 15and was confirmed to be infected with bird flu on Jan. 24. After 18 days of treatment, he was now in stable condition, said Sun Zhaolin, head of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital.

A bird flu patient writes his diary before he leaves the isolation ward at the Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Yang Ying) Photo Gallery>>>

    Zhou bought and killed a duck before falling ill. The hospital started emergency treatment and quarantined the patient even before he tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, Sun said.

    "The hospital treated him under the guidance of experts from the Ministry of Health. Zhou is now out of danger and is not infectious. We are continuing to observe the patient."

A bird flu patient (C, front) leaves the isolation ward for common ward at the Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Yang Ying) Photo Gallery>>>

    Hunan has launched an emergency response against the virus. Those who had close contact with the patient are under medical observation, but so far, there have been no reports of illnesses.

    China has reported eight bird flu cases of H5N1 since January. Five patients have died.