March 17, 2004

 

 

Cambodia Confirms Five New Bird Flu Cases

 

Cambodia has confirmed five new bird flu outbreaks in the country but announced that all the cases have been brought under control, the Department of Animal Health and Production said on Wednesday.

 

Test results from the latest samples taken from poultry in Siem Reap, Kandal and Takeo provinces on February 21 were released in the first week of March and confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 virus, department head Kao Phal said.

 

"I can now confirm that we have found 10 cases of bird flu so far in the entire country," he said.

 

Kao Phal also said that tests from more than 500 kg of poultry that was seized last week while being transported without appropriate documentation had proved clear of the disease.

 

"From February 21 until today there have been no more reported cases but we have not stopped our surveillance and checking. On the contrary, we have improved our investigative activities to monitor any outbreaks," he said.

 

Experts have expressed fear the disease may be more widespread in Cambodia than has so far been reported, due to the kingdom's location between Vietnam and Thailand, where a total of 23 people have died from avian influenza.

 

Seven Cambodians have been tested for the disease but all have been cleared.

 

The latest outbreaks bring the total tally to two in the capital, three in central Kandal province, two in northwestern Siem Reap, the gateway to the famed Angkor complex, and three in Takeo, which borders Vietnam.

 

Kao Phal said that 14,231 chickens have died from bird flu in the kingdom, while more than 6,000 birds have been culled.

 

Cambodian authorities have argued that they cannot undertake the mass cullings that other countries have initiated to control the virus due to most livestock here being owned communally.