Cambodia confirms 7th human H5N1 bird flu case in 2025

Cambodia has reported its seventh case of H5N1 bird flu this year, involving a 41-year-old woman who is currently in critical condition, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.

The woman, a resident of Lwek village in Siem Reap province, tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza on Monday, the Ministry of Health said in a press release issued Tuesday.

She is experiencing severe symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. Her condition is critical, and she is receiving medical care.

An investigation found that sick and dead chickens were present at her home and in neighboring households. The ministry said the woman had handled and cooked the sick poultry for consumption five days before symptoms began.

Health officials are continuing to investigate the case and are collecting samples from individuals who had contact with the patient. Close contacts are being treated with Tamiflu as a precaution, which is standard protocol in Cambodia following H5N1 detections.

LINK: A list of all human cases of H5N1 bird flu since 2021

This latest case follows six other human infections reported in Cambodia this year, including a 65-year-old woman with no known contact with infected poultry who survived, and five fatal cases: a 52-year-old man who died last week, an 11-year-old boy in May, a 3-year-old boy in March, a 2-year-old child in February, and a 28-year-old man in January.

It also follows a case in neighboring Vietnam, where an 8-year-old girl developed severe illness from H5N1 in April. That case came shortly after India reported its first H5N1 infection since 2021, involving a 2-year-old girl who died—the country’s second recorded fatality from the virus.

It is not yet known which strain of H5N1 was involved in the Cambodian case, though it is likely clade 2.3.2.1c, an older variant that remains endemic in the country.