23 Feb 2024 | 09:17 AM UTC
Cambodia: Confirmed H5N1 avian influenza cases reported in multiple areas in February
Confirmed H5N1 avian influenza cases reported in multiple areas in Cambodia in February. Avoid direct contact with poultry and wild birds.
Health authorities have reported confirmed H5N1 avian influenza cases in multiple provinces in Cambodia, with a total of seven cases reported Nov. 23-Feb. 21. This is compared to the two cases reported in Cambodia over a similar period in 2022-2023. Provinces reporting confirmed cases includes Kampot Province (3 cases), Kratie Province (2 cases), Prey Veng Province (1 case), and Siem Reap Province (1 case). Local health officials have strengthened disease surveillance measures and are conducting health education campaigns in affected areas. This report represents the most complete data available as of Feb. 23.
Avoid contact with wild birds and live or recently dead poultry, especially if bird flocks have experienced widespread sudden deaths. Routinely clean areas, surfaces, and objects that come in contact with birds, bird products, or bird droppings.
When they occur, the rare instances of avian influenza infection among humans are usually found among poultry workers, individuals in close contact with backyard poultry, or individuals visiting wet markets where live poultry are kept and slaughtered. Health authorities reported six confirmed cases of H5N1 avian influenza in Cambodia in 2023.
Avian influenza refers to the diseases caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses that rarely spread to humans. Many different viruses cause avian influenza, one of which is A (H5N1) - also known as H5N1. H5N1 spreads through close contact with infected birds or H5N1-contaminated environments. Person to person transmission is rare. Symptoms of human H5N1 infection are usually severe, including high fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. The infection may progress quickly to severe respiratory illness (difficulty breathing or shortness of breath) and neurologic changes (altered mental status or seizures). Most people infected with the virus require hospitalization, and roughly 60 percent of known cases have been fatal.
