Another human H7N9 avian flu case has been confirmed in east China's Zhejiang Province, several other provinces have also reported cases this winter.

The patient is a 59-year-old woman from Gaoxin District in Shaoxing City, she has been hospitalized, according to the Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission on Thursday.

The patient had purchased a hen from Dahutou Village and had killed it herself, according to the commission.

Sporadic human H7N9 cases have been reported in Shanghai, Hunan, Guangdong and Fujian. There have been two fatalities, one in Zhejiang and another in Guangdong.

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