GUANGZHOU, Jan. 8 -- The southern city of Foshan in Guangdong Province reported a new human H7N9 case on Wednesday, raising the total number of such cases in the province to 10 since August.

The 51-year-old female patient, surnamed Cui, was sent to hospital on Jan. 1. She is now in a critical condition, said the provincial health and family planning commission.

Cui bought a live chicken at a market and slaughtered it at home.

No abnormal conditions have been found in the 21 people who were in close contact with the patient.

Guangdong confirmed its first human case of H7N9 on Aug. 10. Two of its 10 cases were uncovered in Shenzhen, two in Foshan, one in Huizhou, two in Dongguan and three in Yangjiang.

One patient in Dongguan City, surnamed He, died of multiple organ failure on Monday after being treated in a local hospital for about three weeks.