A 13-year-old girl became infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus strain and died, the Ministry of Health, Combodia, has confirmed – she is the seventh person to become ill with the virus in the country so far, the first one this year.
The girl developed bird flu like symptoms on 2nd April, was hospitalized on 3rd April and died on 5th April. The Pasteur Institute, Phnom Penh, says their tests confirm the girl was infected with the H5N1 virus strain.
Authorities say there were infected birds in her village, they added that she had consumed an infected chicken before becoming ill. Members of the Ministry of Health, the Pasteur Institute and WHO are investigating to see whether her relatives or close contacts are infected – indications so far are that they are not.
There have been 7 cases of human infection with the H5N1 virus strain in Cambodia so far – all of them died.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today