Tragedy Strikes as 2-Year-Old Succumbs to Bird Flu in Cambodia
In a somber announcement, Cambodia’s Health Ministry reported that a 2-year-old girl has become the second person in the nation to lose her life to bird flu this week, marking the third fatality this year. Laboratory tests have conclusively confirmed that the young girl, a resident of Prey Veng province, passed away on Monday due to H5N1 avian influenza, as stated by the ministry.
Just a day before this heartbreaking news, the ministry had disclosed the unfortunate demise of a 50-year-old man in Svay Rieng province, also due to bird flu. This year, Cambodia mourned the loss of an 11-year-old girl, marking the country’s first bird flu fatality since 2014. Her father had also been infected but thankfully survived.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 878 reported cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza from January 2003 to July 2023, spanning 23 countries. Of these cases, 458 have proven fatal. Cambodia alone has documented 58 cases of human infection with bird flu since 2003.
The WHO highlights that since 2003, the H5N1 virus has extended its presence from Asia to Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It has established itself as an endemic concern within poultry populations in numerous countries, causing significant poultry infections and multiple human infections and deaths. Most human cases have been reported in Asian countries, with occurrences in Africa, the Americas, and Europe as well.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States recently noted a global increase in bird flu outbreaks, with over 21,000 incidents reported between 2013 and 2022. It’s essential to remember that bird flu seldom infects humans.
Scientists express their concern that the rising cases of H5N1, particularly in animals with close human contact, could give rise to a mutated version of the virus, potentially capable of human-to-human transmission, thereby triggering another pandemic.
Chhuon Srey Mao, the 22-year-old mother of the deceased 2-year-old, recounted her daughter’s illness. The child fell ill on October 1, experiencing symptoms like coughing, high temperature, and vomiting. Initially, she received treatment from a local physician for five days. However, her condition deteriorated, prompting her transfer to Phnom Penh for advanced care. Tragically, she passed away at the children’s hospital.
Mao also shared that several chickens in her village had died since late September, including a few of her own. She clarified that she did not use these deceased chickens for food. Bird flu can be transmitted to humans through both domestic poultry and wild birds like ducks.
“I have no idea why my daughter contracted bird flu because she never touched or ate the dead chickens,” Mao lamented. “But I presume that she may have become infected with the virus while playing in the yard, as she normally did, where the chickens had been.”
While the remaining family members are in good health, Mao remains anxious about their well-being. Health officials have taken steps to disinfect her home and others in the village and have advised all villagers to promptly report any signs of illness.
The situation remains under close observation as Cambodia grapples with this tragic loss to bird flu.