Feb 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday confirmed the death of a 44-year-old Chinese woman from the H5N1 bird flu virus.

The woman had been employed in Haifeng County in the eastern part of Guangdong Province. Of the 30 cases confirmed to date in China, 20 have been fatal.

WHO also confirmed on its Web site the death of a 23-year-old Vietnamese woman from Cam Khe district, Phu Tho province. Of the 105 cases confirmed to date in Vietnam, 51 have been fatal.

There have been 234 human deaths globally from the H5N1 strain and 368 confirmed cases of infection since 2003, according to WHO data.

Following is a list of confirmed human cases of H5N1. Total cases include survivors.

Deaths Total cases AZERBAIJAN 5 8 CAMBODIA 7 7 CHINA 20 30 DJIBOUTI 0 1 EGYPT 19 43 INDONESIA 105 129 IRAQ 2 3 LAOS 2 2 MYANMAR 0 1 NIGERIA 1 1 PAKISTAN 1 1 THAILAND 17 25 TURKEY 4 12 VIETNAM 51 105 ------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 234 368 -------------------------------------------------

The H5N1 virus remains mainly a virus of birds, but experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person and sweep the world, killing millions.

So far, most human cases can be traced to direct or indirect contact with infected birds.

Initial tests usually take a day or two to confirm if someone has H5N1. More detailed testing by government laboratories or those affiliated with the WHO can take a week or more. (Writing by David Cutler and Keith Weir, London Editorial Reference Unit)

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