PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Health has denied false reports of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Prey Veng province being cases of human-to-human transmission.

A press release issued on Thursday night, 2 March 2023, by the Ministry of Health confirmed that as of the press release’s issue date, the Ministry has detected only two cases of H5N1 bird flu in Roleang village, Romlech commune, Sithor Kandal district of Prey Veng province. This first was an 11-year-old who tragically died shortly after developing symptoms, and her father, who has now recovered and been released from the district hospital.

The two H5N1 bird flu cases were concluded to have been transmitted from birds to humans, and not cases of human-to-human transmission, the press release stressed.

The Department of Virology at the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia tested samples taken from the infected parties and confirmed the presence of the A(H5N1) virus in Cambodia, with mutations that show transmission from birds to humans, and which do not indicate that the virus is mutating or adapting to human-to-human transmission. The A(H5N1) virus in Cambodia has not been linked to an increase in mammalian transmission.

The Cambodian Ministry of Health has requested all media outlets to correct their reports, take responsibility for the information published and to ensure that all reporting is based on accurate scientific evidence and accurate quotes.

As of Thursday, 2 March 2023, a total of 51 samples (from 20 closely related individuals to the infected parties, and 31 individuals with flu-like symptoms) have been collected for lab testing and processing. So far, results have only shown negative results for the H5N1 virus.