#17,715
My thanks to Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP for the heads up on the announcement, posted today on the Cambodian MOH Facebook page, indicating a 2nd (fatal) case of H5N1 has been reported in just 2 days.
As the map above indicates, these two cases are from two different, but adjacent, provinces.
The MOH Statement, followed by the translation, after which I'll have a bit more.
Kingdom of Cambodia, Nation, Religion, KingMinistry of Health
Press ReleaseTwo-year-old girl dies of bird fluThe Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia would like to inform the public that there is another case of bird flu in a 2-year-old girl who died and was confirmed positive for H5N1 bird flu virus (H5N1) from National Institute of Public Health on October 9, 2023, located in Chhmar Lot village, Snoeng Khang Tbong commune, Kamchay Mear district, Prey Veng province.According to the interrogation, there were dead chickens in the children's house.On the night of October 9, 2023, the emergency response teams of the Ministry of Health at the national and sub-national levels have been investigating the occurrence of this type of bird flu and responding according to national methods and protocols in cooperation. The emergency response team will look for sources of transmission in both animals and humans, and continue to search for suspected and affected cases to prevent transmission to others in the community, as well as distribute Tamiflu to close contacts and Health education campaign for the people in the village where the incident occurred.The Ministry of Health would like to remind all citizens to be careful about bird flu because H5N1 bird flu continues to threaten the health of people, especially children who are at risk and Vulnerability. The deaths are the 59th case of bird flu and 40 deaths in humans since 2005, and the third in 2023.Transmission: H5N1 bird flu is a flu virus that is usually transmitted from sick birds to other birds, but can sometimes be transmitted from birds to humans through close contact with sick or dead birds. Avian influenza in humans is a serious disease that requires timely hospitalization. Although it is not easily transmitted from person to person, but if it can transform itself, can it be transmitted as well? (Seasonal flu, too.Office of the Ministry of Health, Lot 80, Samdech Pen Nuth (St. 289), Phnom Penh Tel: Fax: (855-23) 885 970/884 909
Right now, it isn't clear which version of H5N1 is behind these two latest deaths.
We've seen more than 60 H5N6 human cases in China over the past 3 years, and last winter we saw the return of clade 2.3.2.1c in Cambodia, where it killed an 11-year old girl and infected her father.
Although we've stood on the precipice before with avian flu before, only to see the threat recede, there are no guarantees we will be as lucky this time. But even if we are - Influenza's superpower lies in its ability to evolve, adapt, and reinvent itself (via reassortment).
Which means we can never truly declare victory over the virus. The best we can do is use whatever time we get in between threats wisely, to prepare for for whatever nature, and evolution, throws at us next.
