Residents of Dongguan, Guangdong province, are being urged to avoid contact with live poultry and pay special attention to personal hygiene after a man surnamed Li was found on Thursday to have contracted the H5N6 avian flu virus.

According to a statement released by the Guangdong Health Commission, Li, 53, from Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has been sent to a hospital for treatment.

His symptoms mainly include fever, cough, headache and related symptoms of respiratory diseases, the statement said.

Meanwhile, it said, all residents should avoid purchasing meat of unknown origin and cook meat well before serving it.

Winter is usually the peak period for flu. Guangdong has a population of more than 118 million.

But the statement urged locals not to panic as the avian flue case was a single instance, and the risk of community spread is still low in the city, a global manufacturing base.

Residents should seek immediate medical help if they develop flu-like symptoms, the authorities said.