Cambodia’s bird flu situation “worrying”: WHO

According to WHO, the H5N1 infection situation in Cambodia is worrying because of the virus’s rapid spread among birds and the infections detected in mammals and humans. (Photo: AFP)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working with Cambodian authorities to take timely measures in response to the bird flu situation in the country after it detected two human cases of H5N1 avian influenza in one family.

Speaking at an online briefing on February 24, Dr Sylvie Briand, the director of WHO’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said that WHO was reviewing its global risk assessment in light of the recent developments in Cambodia.

Earlier this month, WHO assessed the risk to humans from avian flu as low.

According to Dr Briand, the H5N1 infection situation is worrying because of the virus’s rapid spread among birds and the infections detected in mammals and humans.

On February 24, Cambodia's Ministry of Health announced that the country detected the second human case of H5N1 avian influenza after an 11-year-old girl died of the virus on February 22.
 
According to the ministry’s statement, a 49-year-old man from southeastern Prey Veng province, who is the father of the deceased girl, tested positive for the H5N1 virus by the National Institute of Public Health on February 24. The man has not developed any remarkable symptoms so far.
 
This is the second human case of H5N1 avian influenza this month after the virus had not been found in humans for nine years, the ministry added.

After recording the death of an 11-year-old girl, Cambodia’s health sector took samples for testing 12 suspected cases.

From 2005 to date, there were 58 cases of infected humans in the Southeast Asian country and 38 people died. 

The H5N1 avian influenza is a flu that normally spreads among sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans, according to the WHO./.

VNA