Health officials have confirmed that an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia passed away from the nation's first known human case of bird flu in nine years.
On Wednesday, the H5N1 virus was discovered in the Prey Veng province's young girl.
She had developed a severe cough, sore throat, and a high fever a week earlier.
According to the health ministry of Cambodia, 11 other people had also been tested, along with her father.
The H5N1 strain had not been known to infect humans in Cambodia since 2014, according to Health Minister Mam Bunheng on Thursday.
The young woman had been brought from her village to the children's hospital in Phnom Penh, but she passed away soon after receiving her diagnosis.
Several dead birds that were found close to the girl's village have had samples taken by officials. Health officials have also advised locals to avoid handling sick or dead birds.
The most recent case of bird flu in Cambodia was in 2014. 56 human cases of H5N1 infection were reported in the ten years prior, 37 of which were fatal.
As humans lack the receptors in their throats, noses, and upper respiratory tracts that make them susceptible to the current virus strain, human cases of bird flu are uncommon. Working with infected poultry increases the risk of infection for those involved. .
Since 2021, eight human H5N1 infections have been reported by the WHO, with cases occurring in China, India, Spain, the UK, and the US.
Birds all over the world are being infected by a brand-new, highly contagious virus strain.
Since October 2021, a recent bird flu outbreak has been circulating around the world.
In domestic and wild birds, the World Organisation for Animal Health reported nearly 42 million individual cases to the BBC earlier this month.
Over 193 million more domestic birds have been culled in addition to the nearly 15 million domestic birds, including poultry, who have perished from the illness.
The strain had infected mammals like minks and otters as well. The virus will "need to be monitored closely," according to the World Health Organization, in order to determine whether it is evolving into a form that can spread among humans.
