Wednesday, July 3, 2013

ProMED: Avian influenza, human (92): Cambodia (KP) fatal

ProMED's article gives us the confirmation date as well as the onset date for this case]
 
Published Date: 2013-07-02 19:35:50
Archive Number: 20130702.1803875

Date: Tue 2 Jul 2013
Source: English News, Xinhuanet report [edited]
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/health/2013-07/02/c_132506048.htm


A 6-year-old girl from Cambodia's southwestern Kampot province has died of avian influenza H5N1, bringing the death toll to 9 and the number of cases to 13 so far this year [2013], a joint statement by the World Health Organization and the Cambodian Health Ministry said Tuesday [2 Jul 2013].

The girl was confirmed positive for human H5N1 avian influenza on Friday last week [28 Jun 2013] by L'Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the statement said, adding that she developed fever and headache last Monday [24 Jun 2013], and her condition worsened with cough and dyspnea. The girl was taken to a private clinic until, last Friday, she was admitted to the Kantha Bopha Hospital with fever, dyspnea and cough, it said. "In the Kantha Bopha Hospital, the girl was treated with Tamiflu but died later in the night," it said. "There have been recent poultry deaths in the girl's village, and the girl was likely exposed to sick and dead poultry before she became sick."

"Avian influenza H5N1 remains a serious threat to the health of all Cambodians. This is the 13th case of H5N1 infection in humans this year [2013]," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in the statement. He said children also seem to be most vulnerable and are at high risk because they like to play where poultry are found. "I urge parents and guardians to keep children away from sick or dead poultry and prevent them from playing with chickens and ducks," he said. "Parents and guardians must also make sure children wash their hands with soap and water after any contact with poultry."

H5N1 influenza is a flu that normally spreads among sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans, the statement said, adding that it is a very serious disease that requires hospitalisation. Cambodia has seen the worst outbreak of the virus this year [2013] since the disease was 1st identified in 2004. To date, the country has recorded 34 human cases of the virus, which has killed 28 people. Globally since 2003, there have been 632 laboratory confirmed human cases of H5N1 avian influenza with 376 related deaths, said the statement.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Cambodia now ranks 5th among the 15 countries reporting human cases of avian A/(H5N1) influenza virus infection, after Indonesia, Egypt, Viet Nam and China.

The coastal province of Kampot can be located in the map of Cambodia at http://phnompenhtour.com/cambodia-provinces/2.html.

http://beta.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20130702.1803875

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