Cambodia – Kampot Province – Credit Wikipedia
# 7439
A reminder this morning that the H5N1 virus, while not making many headlines of late, remains endemic in poultry and wild birds in some regions of the world, and occasionally jumps to humans with devastating effect.
Although I’ve yet to locate the `joint statement’ referenced in the news report below, AFP and Xinhua News are both reporting on the death of a 6 year-old girl from Kampot Province due to H5N1.
The last WHO Human Case update (June 4th) lists 11 cases (and 8 deaths) in Cambodia this year (which included a retrospective case reported in May), yet this report cites 13 cases and now, 9th deaths.
Thus far, I’ve been unable to locate a `12th case’ for 2013 in Cambodia (prior to this one).
This from Xinhua News:
Cambodian young girl dies of bird flu
English.news.cn 2013-07-02 19:43:37
PHNOM PENH, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A six-year-old girl from Cambodia 's Southwestern Kampot province died of Avian Influenza H5N1, bringing the death toll to nine and the number of the cases to 13 so far this year, a joint statement by the World Health Organization and Cambodian Health Ministry said Tuesday.
The girl was confirmed positive for human H5N1 avian influenza on Friday last week by the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the statement said, adding that she developed fever and headache last Monday and her condition worsened with cough and dyspnea.
The girl was taken to a private clinic until, last Friday, she was admitted to Kantha Bopha Hospital with fever, dyspnea and cough, it said.
"In Kantha Bopha Hospital, the girl was treated with Tamiflu, but died later in the night," it said. "There have been recent poultry deaths in the girl's village and the girl was likely to be exposed to sick and dead poultry before she became sick."
"Avian influenza H5N1 remains a serious threat to the health of all Cambodians. This is the 13th case of H5N1 infection in humans this year," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in the statement.
For now, H5N1 remains primarily an avian adapted virus - and only rarely infects humans – usually as the result of direct contact with infected birds.
When I find a link to the joint statement, or a clarification on the number of cases, I’ll update this post.
