#19,085
The MOH announcement, along with the translation, follows:
A case of bird flu in a 45-year-old woman
The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia would like to inform the public that there is 1 case of bird flu in a 45-year-old woman who was confirmed to be positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus on March 14, 2026 by the National Institute of Public Health. The patient lives in Ropai village, Chinu Meanchey commune, Preah Net Preah district, Banteay Meanchey province, and there have been reports of sick and dead chickens and ducks in the village. On the same day, the patient was placed in isolation at the hospital and treated with Tamiflu and received close medical care. Upon questioning, it was revealed that the patient raised chickens and ducks, some of which were sick and dead. Three days before testing positive, she had come into contact with the dead chickens.
The emergency response team of the national and sub-national ministries of health has been collaborating with the teams of 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 the source of transmission in both animals and humans, and search for suspected cases and contacts to prevent further transmission in the community, as well as distribute Tamiflu to close contacts and conduct 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, runny nose, or difficulty breathing and have a history of contact with sick or dead chickens or ducks within 14 days before the onset of symptoms, do not go to gatherings or crowded places and seek consultation and examination and treatment at the nearest health center or hospital immediately. Avoid delaying this, which puts you at high risk of eventual death.
The majority of these cases have been in children and adolescents, and sadly, > 40% have died. Contact with sick or dead poultry has often been cited as the source of infection.
Unlike H5N1 cases reported in the United States - which are due to a milder clade 2.3.4.4b - recent Cambodian cases have been caused by a new reassortment of an older clade of the H5N1 virus (recently renamed 2.3.2.1e) - which appears to be spreading rapidly through both wild birds and local poultry.
In addition to this very active Cambodia lineage of H5N1, some of the other HPAI H5 contenders we are following include:
South Korea: H5N9 Rising
Viruses: Novel Reassortant H5N2 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses from Backyard Poultry in Mexico
Preprint: Emergence of a Novel Reassorted HPAI A(H5N2) Virus Associated with Severe Pneumonia in a Young Adult
Washington State DOH: H5N5 Avian influenza confirmed in Grays Harbor County resident
EID Journal: Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Clade 2.3.2.1a in Traveler Returning to Australia from India, 2024
Exactly where H5Nx goes from here is anyone's guess. Some strains may lose virulence, while others may grow stronger. New variants may emerge, while others will likely fade away. The virus we see tomorrow may look quite different from the virus we see today.
The only thing we can say with any certainty is these viruses continue to evolve, and that their current trajectory is still on the ascendent.
Which is a trend we ignore at our own considerable risk.
