Phnom Penh, March 23 (IANS) A three-year-and-six-month boy from northeast Cambodia's Kratie province has been confirmed positive for H5N1 human avian influenza, raising the number of cases to three so far this year, said a Ministry of Health's statement on Sunday.
The boy had been brought to the hospital in a critical condition with fever, cough, and dyspnea, it said, adding that he is receiving medical treatment with the utmost care from a team of doctors.
"According to queries, the patient's family raised chickens and about five chickens had died, as some others were sick. His family members cooked the dead poultry for food, " the statement said.
Health authorities are looking into the source of the infection and are examining any suspected cases or people who have been in contact with the patient in order to prevent an outbreak in the community, it added.
Among the three human cases of H5N1 so far this year, two had died, and all patients reportedly had a history of recent exposure to sick or dead poultry prior to their illness, Xinhua news agency reported.
Avian influenza A(H5N1) is a subtype of influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances. The goose/Guangdong lineage of H5N1 avian influenza viruses first emerged in 1996 and has been causing outbreaks in birds since then. Since 2020, a variant of these viruses belonging to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4b has led to an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. In 2021, the virus spread to North America, and in 2022, to Central and South America.
From 2003 to date, there were 75 cases of human infection with H5N1 influenza, including 45 deaths in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.
Infections in humans can cause severe disease with a high mortality rate. The human cases detected thus far are mostly linked to close contact with infected birds and other animals and contaminated environments. This virus does not appear to transmit easily from person to person, and sustained human-to-human transmission has not been reported.