# 5766
Via the World Health Organization this afternoon word from the Cambodian Ministry of Health on the 8th fatal H5N1 infection out of Cambodia since the start of the year.
Once again, the case involves a child (age 6) and for the second time this year, this report comes from the province of Kampong Cham.
A hat tip to Giuseppe Michieli on FluTrackers for posting the following WHO announcement.
Avian influenza – situation in Cambodia - update 6
19 August 2011 - The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kingdom of Cambodia has announced a confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.
The case was a 6 year old female from Taing Thleung Village, Mepring Commune, Cheung Prey District, Kampong Cham Province.
She developed symptoms on 7 August, was initially treated by local practitioners with no effect and was later admitted to Kantha Bopha Children Hospital in Phnom Penh on 12 August. She died on 14 August, two days after admission.
There have been reports of poultry die off in her village and the case is reported to have had exposure to sick poultry. The female is the eighteenth person in Cambodia to become infected with the H5N1 virus and the sixteenth to die from complications of the disease. All eight cases of H5N1 infections in humans in Cambodia this year have been fatal.
The National and local Rapid Response Teams (RRT) are conducting outbreak investigation and response following the national protocol. Health education messages are ongoing in the community. To date none of the human contacts have tested positive for A (H5N1).
All but one of these recent cases have involved young children. This latest case marks the 18th known Cambodian H5N1 infection, and the 16th fatality since 2005.
Earlier reports on this year’s cases include:
Cambodia: 7th Bird Flu Fatality Of 2011
Cambodia: 6th Bird Flu Fatality Of 2011
Cambodia Reports 5th Bird Flu Fatality
IRIN: Cambodia’s Bird Flu Risk "under control" – Experts
Cambodia: 4th Bird Flu Fatality Of 2011
WHO Update On Cambodian H5N1 Fatalities
Although we continue to see isolated human infections around the world, for now H5N1 is primarily a threat to poultry.
The virus remains poorly adapted to human physiology, and despite ample opportunities in places like Egypt and Indonesia, only causes rare, sporadic infections.
The concern, of course, is that over time that could change.
And so the world remains at Pre-pandemic Phase III on the H5N1 virus, and we continue to watch for signs that the virus is adapting better to humans.
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