Chinese health officials have confirmed the first case of H7N9 infection in the capital Beijing, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.

According to Xinhua, a 7-year-old girl in Beijing was infected with H7N9, a lesser-known strain of bird flu, making it the first such case in the Chinese capital and raising the total number of infections in the country to 44.

The case was confirmed following a test by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention early on Saturday.

Chinese Central Television reported the same day that the child's parents have been selling live birds.

The girl, currently being treated at the Beijing Ditan Hospital, is in stable condition, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said in a press briefing.

Two people who have had close contact with the child have not shown any flu symptoms, a bureau spokesman added.

He also confirmed that the girl's father was engaged in live poultry trading.

The first known human infections have claimed the lives of 11 people, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

A total of 44 cases have been reported in China since March 31, including 11 deaths. Forty-three cases have been confirmed in the eastern Yangtze River Delta region provinces and Shanghai, the commercial hub of the country.