In the last two months, eight people in Cambodia have died from
bird flu, a rare but deadly disease causing concern among health
authorities. Six of the victims have been children. The H5N1
virus, known to be highly contagious to poultry, typically
resembles the flu when contracted by humans. But it kills more
than half the people it infects, according to Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Of the nine confirmed H5N1 cases
in Cambodia this year, only an 8-month old infant has survived.
The infant had received medical attention early, said Dr. Ly
Sovann, the Ministry of Health's deputy director for
communicable diseases control in Cambodia. The eight bird flu
deaths in the last six weeks -- considering that Cambodia has
had 19 reported deaths from the disease in the last 10 years --
has sparked increased surveillance efforts. Health officials are
warning people to wash their hands often, to keep children away
from poultry and to avoid eating sick poultry. So far, the nine
cases are not believed to be r