Cambodia records 13th human case of H5N1 bird flu in 2025

A six-year-old boy from southeast Cambodia's Tboung Khmum province has been confirmed for H5N1 avian influenza, raising the number of cases to 13 so far this year, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday.

A laboratory result from the National Institute of Public Health showed on Monday that the boy was positive for H5N1 virus, the statement said.

The patient has the symptoms of fever, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, and dyspnea, and is currently being rescued by a team of doctors, it added.

"According to queries, about 100 chickens at the house of the patient's relatives had died and the boy carried one dead chicken home and gave it to his grandma to cook 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 victim in order to prevent an outbreak in the community.

Tamiflu (oseltamivir), an antiviral drug to prevent the bird flu from spreading, was also distributed to people who had direct contact with the boy, the statement said.

So far this year, the Southeast Asian country recorded a total of 13 human cases of H5N1 bird flu, with five deaths, according to the health ministry.

xinhua