#18,781
A few minutes ago the Cambodian MOH announced their 12th case of H5N1 - and the 9th case in just over a month - this time involving a 5-year-old boy from Kampot Province who had contact with sick chickens.
I've posted the screenshot, followed by a translation.
(translation)
Kingdom of Cambodia
Nation Religion King
Ministry of Health
A case of bird flu in a 5-year-old child
The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia would like to inform the public: There is another case of bird flu in a 5-year-old boy who was confirmed positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus by the National Institute of Public Health on July 3, 2025. The patient lives in Kamakor Village, Sam Lahn Commune, Angkor Chey District, Kampot Province, and has symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing.
This is the 12th case for 2025 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The patient is currently under intensive care by medical staff. According to inquiries, the patient's family has about 40 chickens, as well as 2 sick and dead chickens. The boy likes to play with the chickens every day.
The emergency response teams of the national and sub-national ministries of health have been collaborating with the provincial agriculture departments and local authorities at all levels to actively investigate the outbreak of bird flu and respond according to technical methods and protocols, find sources of transmission in both animals and humans, and search for suspected cases and contacts to prevent further transmission in the community. They have also distributed Tamiflu to close contacts and conducted health education campaigns among residents in the affected villages.
The Ministry of Health would like to remind all citizens to always pay attention to and be vigilant about bird flu because H5N1 bird flu continues to threaten the health of our citizens. We would also like to inform you that if you have a fever, cough, sputum discharge, or difficulty breathing and have a history of contact with sick or dead chickens or ducks within 14 days before the start of the symptoms, do not go to gatherings or crowded places and seek consultation and treatment at the nearest health center or hospital immediately. Avoid delaying this, which puts you at high risk of eventual death.
The elusive 11th case - which has yet to be publicly announced by the MOH - was identified two days ago thanks to the expert sleuthing of Lisa Schnirring at CIDRAP, whose article H5N1 sickens another in Cambodia reported:
. . . a 19-month-old boy from Takeo province who died from his infection, according to a line list in a weekly avian flu update from Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP). The group said the case was reported on June 30.
Also, a weekly avian flu update from the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific region office said the boy’s infection was one of two from Takeo province for the week ending June 26 and that his illness onset date was June 7.
Reports of multiple human infections across several provinces of Cambodia all within a matter of a few weeks suggests the virus - which is reportedly a new reassortment of an older clade of the H5N1 virus recently renamed 2.3.2.1e) - is spreading rapidly through local poultry.
