WUHAN, April 20 -- A patient infected with the H7N9 strain of avian flu, the first case this year, was discharged from a central China hospital on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old patient, surnamed Dong, suffered multiple organ failure and had been isolated and in treatment since March 13, according to the Hubei provincial health and family planning commission.

After more than a month of treatment, the patient's illness is under control and test results for H7N9 nucleic acid were negative. Medical experts said on Monday that Dong has met the conditions for release from the hospital.

The patient is from Jingshan County and a live poultry trader.

H7N9 was first reported to have infected humans in China in March 2013. It is most likely to strike in winter and spring.