The Ministry of Health, on Nov 24, announced the positive detection of the H5N1 bird flu virus in a 21-year-old woman in Dong Tong district, Kampot province.

The discovery was made when the patient became ill on November 19, 2023, and was brought to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital on November 23, 2023, with respiratory symptoms including fever, shortness of breath, and cough. The patient is currently being treated in the emergency room by a team of doctors.

According to the Ministry of Health, inquiries show that about a week ago, there were a series of dead chickens at home and in the village.

After the positive detection of the H5N1 bird flu virus on November 23, 2023, the emergency response teams of the Ministry of Health at the national and sub-national levels have been cooperating with the working groups of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment to investigate the outbreak of bird flu, respond to methods and technical protocols to find sources of transmission in both animals and humans, and continue to search for suspected and affected cases to prevent transmission to others in the community, distribute Tamiflu medicine to those affected, and conduct a health education campaign in the affected villages.