The 30-year-old patient, whose name and sex were not released, died Thursday after being hospitalized with bird-flu like symptoms such as high fever and cough.

But the tests confirmed he had not died of bird flu, a hospital official said.

In similar cases, the hospital had admitted in July and August two other patients suspected to have the deadly disease but who tested negative later.

At a meeting in Hanoi Friday, an official from the International Federation of Red Cross hailed Vietnam’s progress in bird flu control, saying the country had set an exemplary model for other countries to follow.

Vietnam has to date reported 93 bird flu cases but no new human cases have been found since mid-November 2005.