HO CHI MINH CITY, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A 46-year-old man from Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City has died, becoming the third fatality of flu virus H1N1 in the city so far this year, local media reported on Tuesday.

Cho Ray Hospital in the city is now treating seven H1N1 patients, of whom three are in need of respirators, online newspaper VietNamNet reported. Among the seven patients, one is from southern Ninh Thuan province.

Early this month, Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City spotted 28 suspected and confirmed cases of H1N1 infection, including 16 confirmed ones.

Vietnam experienced an H1N1 pandemic in 2009, with over 9,000 cases of people contracting the disease and nearly 20 deaths within four months of the year, according to the Health Ministry.

In a tropical country like Vietnam, the bird flu circulates the entire year round, usually reaching several peaks in the rainy season. The H1N1 virus causes pernicious respiratory infection.