PHNOM PENH: In a Telegram voice message on the morning of October 9, Prime Minister Hun Manet instructed provincial governors to warn people about the threat of an H5N1 bird flu strain that killed a man over the weekend.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that on October 7, a 50-year-old man in Svay Rieng’s Mrak Teap village, died from the H5N1 bird flu virus after handling poultry he had bought wholesale. According to the neighbors, the victim had bought more than 50 chickens to resell, although it is not clear where he bought the chickens from. After he brought the chickens home, his neighbor’s chickens started to die, but the man then distributed the chicken to relatives.

The Ministry of Health reminded the public of the ongoing threat that bird flu poses to public health, especially to children, who are more vulnerable to the disease. The ministry said that this is the 58th case of bird flu recorded in the Kingdom since 2005, 39 of which have been fatal. This is the second case recorded this year.

The H5N1 bird flu is usually transmitted between birds, but can sometimes be transmitted to humans through close contact with sick or dead birds. Avian influenza in humans is a serious disease that requires timely hospitalization. Although it is not easily transmitted from person to person, if it can be metabolized to be as contagious as the seasonal flu.

The Ministry of Health advises people to wash their hands frequently with soap and water before eating and after contact with birds, to keep children away from birds and to keep dead birds away from living ones. It also advised people not to eat sick birds or birds that have died prematurely and to ensure that poultry is well-cooked before eating. Citizens can contact the Ministry of Health's hotline number 115 for free or contact the Ministry of Health at: 012 488 981 or 012 836 868.