Beijing, Apr 11 (IANS/EFE): The number of people infected with the new H7N9 strain of bird flu in China stands at 33 with the detection of five more cases, while a four-year-old boy who had experienced slight symptoms made a complete recovery.

Nine people have died of the virus.

By regions, Shanghai continues to have the greatest number of cases, with 15, followed by Jiangsu with 10, Zhejiang with 6 and Anhui with 2, all in eastern China.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission said that among the people who have been in direct contact with infected people medical authorities have not detected a single abnormal symptom or the slightest sign of an "epidemic relationship" among them.

In addition, the commission said that the infected people have been isolated and that no person-to-person contagion has been detected.

Clinical observations have shown that, if the patient is treated up to five days after showing the first symptoms, current therapeutic methods in China "can be effective" in dealing with the disease, a Shanghai physician told the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The first case of this new strain of bird flu was detected March 1 but not confirmed by Chinese authorities until the end of last month.

The health ministry said that the delay was due to the research required to identify the virus and determine if it was a new type of bird flu.