The 9th death due to H5N1 infection in Cambodia

Cambodia on July 2 announced the 9th death due to H5N1 avian influenza virus infection this year, while warning that the deadly virus remains a "serious threat" to Cambodian people.

The joint statement between the Cambodian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) said the victim was a 6-year-old girl, living in Kampot province. She had a positive test result for the H5N1 virus on June 28 and was hospitalized with symptoms of fever, cough and dyspnea. Although he was treated with Tamiflu, he died on July 1.

A stall selling chicken at a market in the capital Phnom Penh.(Photo: AFP-VNA)

Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng affirmed that the H5N1 virus is seriously threatening the health of Cambodian people, especially children. He also said it was the 13th H5N1 flu infection in Cambodia this year. He urged parents and adults to keep their children away from sick and dead poultry and encourage them to wash their hands with soap after contact with poultry.

Between 2003 and 2011, the H5N1 bird flu killed about 300 people and forced authorities to destroy 400 million poultry worldwide, causing losses of about $ 20 billion. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that so far many of the A / H5N1 flu viruses still exist in Asia and the Middle East. If not strictly controlled, this strain of the virus could easily spread globally as it was in 2006, when 63 countries were affected.

In 2013 Cambodia recorded the worst outbreak of H5N1. So far, the country has 34 cases of bird flu, killing 28 people.