January 28, 2004

Cambodia Denies Human Bird Flu Cases

The Cambodian government announced that there are no confirmed human cases of bird flu in the country. A statement released Tuesday by the Cambodian Ministry of Health said, "There are no confirmed human cases of avian influenza in Cambodia."

The government said three people have tested negative for bird flu, giving the country a temporary respite in Asia's ongoing fight against the steadily spreading virus, Kyodo reported.

"Three persons were identified on Saturday, 24 January, with mild to moderate respiratory infections during an investigation at one farm in Kandal Province but have so far tested negative for influenza viruses," according to the ministry statement.

Cambodia has killed some 10,000 chickens from a farm near Phnom Penh where bird flu infection was confirmed last Friday, the report said.

Despite bird flu outbreaks in nine other Asian countries, Kao Phal, director of the ministry's veterinary department, told Kyodo that the avian influenza virus has so far been detected at only one of 14 chicken farms in and around Phnom Penh.

Many Cambodian poultry meat stores, fearful of human infection, have been closed over the last few days, Kyodo reported.

The ministry statement also said "the influenza infection is not acquired through eating poultry products," Kyodo reported.

"Investigation in previous avian influenza outbreaks determined that close contact with live infected poultry is the primary source of human infection. People in the community should avoid contact with sick poultry and other birds to reduce their risk of being exposed to avian influenza," the statement said, according to Kyodo.