Fifth Bird Flu Fatality in Kampot Cambodia
Recombinomics Commentary
April 20, 2005
>> Dom said Cambodians often crossed the border to seek medical care at the hospital, which provides better treatment than hospitals in their country.
Health authorities in Cambodia said they had no independent information on the case, but were investigating.
"The first thing we're going to do is to try and verify the rumour and get our network to find out if she does actually test positive for bird flu," said Megge Miller, an epidemiologist working with the World Health Organisation in Cambodia.
Experts have said the virus is now endemic in many parts of the region. <<
The investigations in Cambodia have failed to halt the steady increase in H5N1 deaths in Cambodia. The death of the 20 year-old female is now the fifth reported fatality from Cambodia. It is the second reported death of a Cambodian who died in Kien Giang, after crossing from Cambodia to Viet Nam seeking better medical care.
All five fatalities have been from Kampot, and a recent OIE report indicated H5N1 had been detected in Kia Thavong Le in Banteay Meas district from an outbreak that had begun on March 24 in backyard chickens, but the number of fatal cases continues to increase.
This season all reported cases in Cambodia and all confirmed cases in southern Vietnam, have been fatal.
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