GUANGZHOU, Feb. 27  -- Another H7N9 human case has been reported in south China's Guangdong Province, raising its total infections to 63 this year, local health authorities said on Friday.

An 80-year-old man in Shantou City was diagnosed with the disease on Thursday, the provincial health and family planning commission said.

The man is in critical condition.

H7N9 is a bird flu strain first reported to have infected humans in March 2013. It is most likely to strike in winter and spring.

To prevent an epidemic, the provincial government banned live poultry trading at all markets from Feb. 19 to 28, the first 10 days of the Chinese Lunar Year.

Human cases of H7N9 have been reported this winter in several other Chinese localities including Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Zhejiang. Enditem