The World Health Organization has confirmed the first human case of bird flu in Laos.

In a joint statement issued Tuesday, WHO and Laotian officials say a 15-year-old girl who fell ill earlier this month is infected with the bird flu virus. Officials say the girl was hospitalized in Vientiane and later transferred to Thailand, where she is in stable condition.

WHO officials have not confirmed whether the virus is the often-fatal H5N1 strain of bird flu.

Bird flu broke out among poultry in the girl's village near the capital two weeks ago.

The disease first appeared in Laos in 2004. It is known to have killed about 170 people worldwide since 2003, mostly in Asia.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.