Cambodia Reports Two Fatal Cases of Avian Influenza H5N1, Uncertain Clade Origin
Cambodia has recently witnessed two tragic fatalities attributed to H5N1 avian influenza. However, the origin of the virus remains uncertain, as it is unclear whether it belongs to the 2.3.2.1c clade typically found in the country's poultry or the 2.3.4.4b clade, which is more widespread globally.
Two Cases from Adjacent Provinces
The Ministry of Health shared an announcement regarding the first patient, a 50-year-old man from Svay Rieng province, on their Facebook page. This information was initially reported by FluTrackers, a forum specializing in infectious disease news, and was subsequently translated and shared by FluTrackers and Avian Flu Diary (AFD), an infectious disease news blog.
According to the ministry's report, over 50 chickens had died at the man's residence and his neighbor's premises, with these birds distributed for consumption. Health authorities are actively tracing contacts and issuing public health advisories in the affected region.
Today, the ministry posted another notice concerning a second H5N1 case. This case involved a 2-year-old girl from the neighboring Prey Veng province who tragically succumbed to the infection, as reported by AFD. The report indicated that investigators discovered deceased chickens in the girl's household.
Latest Infections Follow Two Similar Cases from February
These two cases represent the fourth report of H5N1 infection in Cambodia this year. In February, Cambodia documented a fatal H5N1 case in an 11-year-old girl from Prey Veng province, followed by an infection confirmation in her asymptomatic father, who was isolated in a hospital.
These February cases marked Cambodia's first instances of H5N1 infection since 2014. Genetic sequencing of patient samples revealed that the H5N1 virus belonged to the 2.3.2.1c clade, similar to viruses present in Southeast Asia since 2014.
CDC Provides Updated H5N1 Technical Report
Before Cambodia reported the latest cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated a technical report indicating that, since January 2022, 15 sporadic human H5N1 infections have been reported across eight countries. Some of these cases were severe or fatal, while others were asymptomatic and likely linked to environmental contamination rather than actual infection.
Most of the affected individuals had been exposed to sick or dead poultry, with twelve cases involving the more recent 2.3.4.4b clade. H5N1 continues to circulate in various wildlife, poultry, and some mammals, including marine animals such as seals in South America and Washington state, as well as fur farms in Finland.
The CDC maintains that the overall threat to human health remains low but underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring to detect any changes in the virus that could increase its potential for human-to-human transmission.
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