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Ministry of Health Warns of Potential Bird Flu Outbreak in Upcoming Festivals

  • Posted Jan 24, 2022 14:02 by Chamrong Ridhisidh
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PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Health released a statement on Monday reminding all people who will partake in preparations for ancestral offerings in upcoming festivals and ceremonies to be careful about the possibility of transmitting bird flu in animals to people in the community.

The Ministry of Health stated that every year, some people partake in making various offerings during ancestral ceremonies, with the purchase and circulation of birds being a major aspect that may increase the risk of bird flu transmission in the community. The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus in animals and in the environment has been known to infect humans at any time if not properly prevented.

The Ministry urges people to continue their personal vigilance and duty to avoid direct interactions with livestock, animals at farms and poultry markets, entering slaughterhouses or making contact with surfaces used to cut poultry or other animals and which could thus be contaminated with the virus.

The Ministry also reminded citizens to be careful about congestion and crowds when buying food, poultry or other materials, and recommends going a few days early to buy materials in advance to avoid the crowds at markets or shops on the same day of ceremonies.

They also called on authorities to set up surveillance and guidance units at live poultry markets, to oversee the implementation of preventive measures to curb the spread of bird flu in their communities. In addition, the Ministry urges people exhibiting bird flu symptoms, such as having a fever over 38.5 degrees, cough, difficulty breathing and a history of contact with sick or dead poultry at least 14 days before symptoms began to show, to call the emergency number 115 and rush to the nearest hospital.

Bird flu is a variety of influenza caused by infectious viruses that can spread among not only birds but also humans and other animals. The H5N1 strain is the most common form of bird flu. The disease is dangerous to birds and can easily infect humans and other animals.

According to the World Health Organization, H5N1 was first detected in humans in 1997, and 60 percent of those infected with the disease have died. The Ministry of Health in Cambodia declared the first cases of bird flu in the country in 2005, and from 2005 to 2014, Cambodia recorded 56 cases and 37 deaths from the disease.

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