Virus H5N1 was detected in the post-mortem blood tests of the 60-year-old victim who died Thursday in Ho Chi Minh City, Xinhua reported, citing provincial health officials.

In a statement, Pasteur Institute said six separate H5N1 cases have been identified in Vietnam's south. 

The H5N1 virus case in the country was last seen in 2009. In 4 months, 9,000 cases were reported, and about 20 people had lost their lives.

The bird flu can be transmitted to local poultry stocks through migratory birds, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Humans can reportedly become infected by the virus by eating infected poultry.