PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — An 11-year-old girl has died in Cambodia from Bird flu. The country’s first known H5N1 infection since 2014, health officials said.
Avian influenza, also known as Bird Flu. Is usually transmit in poultry and until 1997 was not consider a threat to humans among visitors to live poultry markets in Hong Kong. Worldwide, most human cases have been through direct contact with infected poultry. But recent concerns have been raise about infections in various mammals and the possibility. That the virus could spread more easily between humans.
The girl, from Prey Veng district in the southeastern countryside. Fell ill on February 16 and was take to a hospital in the capital Phnom Penh for treatment. He was diagnose on Wednesday after developing a fever of 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) with a cough. Sore throat and died shortly thereafter, the health ministry said in a statement late Wednesday. Health officials took a sample from a dead wild bird in a nature reserve near the girl’s home. The ministry said in a statement on Thursay. They said teams in the area are also warning the public not to touch dead and sick birds.
Cambodia’s health minister, Mam Bunheng, warned that Bird flu poses a particularly high risk to children. Who feed domesticated poultry or collect eggs, play with the birds or clean their cages. Symptoms of H5N1 infectioare similar to other flu symptoms, including cough, aches, and fever. In severe cases, patients can develop life-threatening pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization. There were 56 human cases of H5N1 in Cambodia between 2003 and 2014, and 37 of these were fatal.
Worldwide, about 870 human infections and 457 deaths have been report to the WHO in 21 countries. But the pace has slowed, with about 170 infections and 50 deaths in the past seven years.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern earlier this month about bird flu infections in mammals, including mink, otters, foxes and sea lions.https://az24news.com/world/bird-flu/
“H5N1 has been widespread among wild birds and poultry for 25 years, but its recent spread to mammals should be closely monitored,” he warn.
In January, a 9-year-old girl in Ecuador became the first reported case of human infection in Latin America and the Caribbean. He was treat with antiviral drugs. Tedros said earlier this month that the World Health Organization still rates the Bird flu’s risk to humans as low.
“But we cannot assume that this will continue and we must prepare for changes to the status quo,” he said. It advised people not to touch dead or sick wildlife and countries to strengthen monitoring of environments where people and animals interact.
