Two cases of death from H5N1 flu in Cambodia

On February 12, the Department of Community Quarantine (CDCD) of the Cambodian Ministry of Health confirmed that a 7-year-old boy and his 3-year-old younger sister in Kratie Province (Northeast) died on February 7 due to influenza virus infection. H5N1, bringing the total number of deaths from this disease in Cambodia from early 2014 to three.

Director of CDCD Sok Touch said, the two patients died on the same day at the hospital of Kompong Cham province.

According to Sok Touch, many dead chickens have been found in the village of two patients on living and both have been exposed to poultry before having the same symptoms.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H5N1 flu is a flu that often spreads between birds, but can sometimes be spread from poultry to humans.

People are exposed to poultry at home in Phnom Penh.(Photo: AFP / VNA)

This flu was first detected in Cambodia 10 years ago. To date, the country has recorded 50 cases, of which 35 deaths.

On February 12, according to a VNA correspondent in Hong Kong (China), Chinese health officials and experts warned that the number of people infected with the H7N9 avian influenza virus would increase if the poultry trade was still alive. takes place.

Since the beginning of the year, the number of patients infected with H7N9 has increased dramatically in China, with more than 180 cases, exceeding the total number of cases in 2013, of which nearly 40 people have died.

On February 10, health authorities in the country announced 5 more new patients infected with H7N9.

According to the China National Influenza Prevention Center, the recent increase in the number of patients infected with H7N9 is due to the number of people exposed to live poultry during the holidays.

Experts say that only when changing poultry trading and consumption practices, such as switching to frozen poultry, can reduce the risk of human infection with H7N9.

In Hong Kong, the district authorities banned the sale of live poultry from before the Lunar New Year until February 18, after discovering a bird import from mainland China infected with the H7N9 virus.