The news agency reported that an 11-year-old girl died this week of bird flu in Cambodia. AP.
It is the first known case of bird flu in Cambodia since 2014.
Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease that affects birds and can also infect other animal species.
I washed hundreds
The girl from the southeastern province of Pri Vieng fell ill on February 16 and was treated at a hospital in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
She was diagnosed with bird flu after experiencing symptoms such as high fever, cough and sore throat. Health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday evening that she died shortly after.
Now the population fears the spread of the virus.
Danger to children
Cambodia’s health ministry said Thursday that health authorities took samples from a dead wild bird in a protected area near the girl’s home.
Authorities are also seeking to ask residents to warn them not to touch dead or sick birds for fear of further infection.
Warning: Cambodians hold informational posters about avian influenza. Photo: AFP/NTB
Show more
Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bunheng stated that bird flu poses a particular danger to children.
according to Norwegian Food Safety Authority It is very rare for bird flu to pass from birds to humans, but it can occur through close contact with sick or dead birds – which can lead to serious illness.
Found dead in the bathroom
The disease is not contagious to humans through food or drinking water.
Symptoms of avian influenza are similar to those of other influenza viruses: cough, pain and fever are common, as is life-threatening pneumonia in severe cases.
– He must be watched closely
According to the Associated Press, 56 cases of bird flu in humans were recorded in Cambodia between 2003 and 2014. 37 of them were fatal, according to the World Health Organization.
Worldwide, 870 cases of infection and 457 deaths have been recorded, spread across 21 countries.
The incidence has decreased in recent years, and since 2016, 170 cases and 50 deaths have been recorded.
Concern: The authorities are reporting – and the locals are expressing concern. Photo: AP/NTB
Show more
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern earlier this month about bird flu infections in mammals, including mink, otters, foxes and sea lions.
Since January, more than 600 dead sea lions have been found in the sea and along the coast in Peru. The researchers stated that the cause of death must have been bird flu.
The adults are the worst
Avian influenza has also been detected in dead birds in several counties in Norway recently.
Avian influenza has been circulating in wild birds for 25 years, Ghebreyesus warned, but the recent increase in infections in mammals must be carefully monitored.
They must be carefully monitored: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the World Health Organization. Photo: Joanna Geron/AP/NTB
Show more
– low risk
In January, a nine-year-old girl in Ecuador was diagnosed with bird flu — the first recorded case in a human being in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Earlier in February, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed however that the World Health Organization considers the risk of transmission from birds to humans to be low.
– But we cannot assume that it will remain this way, and we must be prepared for any change in the status quo, he said, and at the same time warned people against contact with sick and dead animals.
He also called on the authorities in several countries to closely monitor the situation, especially in areas where contact between animals and humans occurs.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
