The woman, identified by her surname Liu, was taken to the Heishan County Hospital on November 6 and diagnosed with severe pneumonia, according to a statement on the websites of the Liaoning province health and agricultural departments.

"The reason for the illness is unclear," the statement said.

The health department sent eight health experts to Heishan to give Liu emergency treatment.

Liu's condition is stable and her temperature has returned to normal.

She initially tested negative for bird flu but it will take two more weeks for tests for antibodies to be fully diagnosed, the statement said.

Liu was among 121 people from Heishan county who had close contact with the sick poultry and were taken to the hospital after displaying fever or flu-like symptoms.

Except for Liu, bird flu has been ruled out in all the other cases.

Heishan is the location of the first bird flu outbreak in Liaoning and at least 15 towns there have been affected.

The outbreak was detected late last month and confirmed by health authorities on November 3. Since then three other outbreaks have been reported in northeastern Liaoning province.

Although no human cases of bird flu have been documented in China, the World Health Organization will this weekend begin testing samples from three people, one of whom has died, suspected of catching the virus in central Hunan province last month.

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