BAKU, Jan 28 (Reuters) - A 14-year-old Azeri boy, treated for suspected bird flu in a medical institute in the capital, Baku, died on Sunday before his diagnosis could be finally established, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

"According to information from the institute, the boy died today in the morning," Anar Kadyrly said. "Azeri specialists suspected he had bird flu, but three tests conducted in Baku showed he had acute pneumonia."

Kadyrly said the boy's blood sample had been sent for analysis to a laboratory in London endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), but no results had returned so far.

The boy was from the southern region of Salyan, one of two centres of last year's bird flu outbreak.

His sister was one of five people who died last year in an outbreak of H5N1 strain bird flu in the former Soviet republic lying between Turkey and Russia.

Bird flu has killed more than 160 people since 2003, according to the WHO. H5N1 is the most deadly strain so far identified.

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