Cambodian girl dies from H5N1 infection

Lisa Schnirring  Staff Writer

Aug 19, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – Cambodia's health ministry hasconfirmed that a 6-year-old girl died from an H5N1 avian influenza infection,the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.

The girl, from Kampong Cham province in eastern Cambodia,got sick Aug 7 and was first treated by local healthcare providers, the WHOsaid. After her condition didn't improve she was admitted to Kantha BophaChildren's Hospital in Phnom Penh on Aug 12, where she died 2 days later.

Her infection and death raise Cambodia's H5N1 toll to 18cases and 16 deaths, the WHO said.

Cambodia has reported eight H5N1 cases this year, all of themfatal. Though a recent report from German researchers noted that the overallcase-fatality rate for the disease has declined over the past 5 years, it hasbeen lethal in Cambodia, which reported its first cases in 2005 and has had onlytwo patients who survived their infections.

Cambodia's latest case raises the world's H5N1 total to 565cases, which include 331 deaths.

An investigation into the source of the girl's illnesssuggests that she had been exposed to sick poultry. There were recent reportsof poultry die-offs in the girl's village.

National and local response teams are conducting an outbreakinvestigation, according to the WHO report. So far none of the girl's contactshave tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

See also:

Aug 19 WHO statement

Aug 12 CIDRAP News story