Cambodia Ministry of Health releases details on new H5N1 avian influenza cases
In a follow-up to a story yesterday, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the World Health Organization (WHO) put out a joint press release confirming and providing more details on the two human H5N1 avian influenza cases.
H5N1 avian influenza
Image/CDC
The 7th case, an 8-year-old boy from Spean-Dek village, Prek-TunLoab commune, Leuk-Dek district, Kandal province, was tested positive by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge on the 6th March 2014. The boy had onset symptoms of fever, chill, running nose, sore throat, and cough on 24th February 2014. His parents sought treatment at a private practitioner in the village on the same day. His condition worsened and the boy was admitted to Kantha Bopha Hospital on 4th March. On 4th March, the boy had symptoms of fever, chill, running nose, sore throat, cough, dyspnoea, convulsion and somnolence. The specimen was collected on 5th March and Tamiflu was administered on the same day. The boy is recovering.
Around mid-February, about 90% of poultries died in the village. Chickens died in the case’s house and the family buried them. There is also a poultry slaughter’s house near to the case’s house. The parents reported that the boy had no direct contact but the chickens died in close proximity.
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The 8th case, an 11-year-old boy from Toeuk Laak village, Toeuk Haut commune, Rolea Paear district, Kampong Chnnang province, was tested positive by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge on the 6th March 2014. The boy had onset symptoms of fever and headache on 3rd March 2014. His parents sought treatment at a private practitioner next to their house on the same day and on the next day (4th March). His condition worsened and the boy was admitted to Kampong Chnnang Provincial Hospital on 5th March. On 6th March, the boy had symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath and was referred to Kantha Bopha Hospital in the afternoon on the same day. The boy died a few hours after his admission on 6th March.
Beginning of February, chickens started dying in the village and in the case’s house and continued for a month. The boy helped to prepare dead chickens and ducks for food and ate them.
This is the 7th and 8th cases this year and the 54th and 55th persons to become infected with the H5N1 virus in Cambodia. The cases are from Kandal and Kampong Chnnang provinces. Of the 55 confirmed cases, 43 were children under 14, and 29 of the 55 were female. In addition, since the first case happened in Cambodia in 2005 there were 19 cases survived.
