Cambodia reports fresh H5N1 bird flu case, total infections mount to 8

Phnom Penh, Aug 2 – Another human case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed on a four-year-old boy from southeast Cambodia’s Svay Rieng province, raising the number of the cases to eight since the start of 2024, said a Ministry of Health’s statement.

“Laboratory results from the National Institute of Public Health showed on Tuesday that the boy was positive for H5N1 virus,” the statement said.

The patient, who lives in Romeas Haek district’s Chhrong Popeal village, has the symptoms of fever, cough, dyspnea, and drowsiness, the statement said, adding that he is currently recovering after receiving intensive care from a team of doctors, Xinhua news agency reported.

“According to queries, about 12 days before the boy fell ill, many chickens and ducks in the village and at his house had subsequently died, and the patient’s family cooked them for food, and the patient had direct contact with the dead poultry,” the statement said.

Health authorities are looking into the source of the infection and are examining any suspected cases or people who have been in contact with the victim to prevent an outbreak in the community, it added.

Among the eight human cases of H5N1 bird flu so far this year were seven children, one of whom died, and an adult. All patients reportedly had a history of recent exposure to sick or dead poultry before their illness.

H5N1 influenza is a flu that normally spreads between sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans, and its symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and severe respiratory illness.

The ministry said bird flu still poses a threat to people’s health, particularly children, urging people not to eat ill or dead poultry.

From 2003 to date, there were 70 cases of human infection with H5N1 influenza, including 42 deaths in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.