Cambodia registered its fourth death from bird flu this year, double last year’s toll, after an 11-year-old boy died from the virus, authorities said Wednesday.

The child from Kampong Speu province in the west had “fever, cough, and difficulty breathing” when he was taken to hospital before he died on Tuesday, the health ministry said.

Tests by the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia confirmed he was positive for the H5N1 virus which causes avian influenza, according to the statement.

It said there were chickens and ducks getting sick and dying near the child’s house one week before he showed symptoms.

A 28-year-old man who raised poultry at home died from bird flu in January. In February and March, the virus killed two children aged two and three.

The H5N1 virus is generally transmitted to humans after contact with infected birds or in high-risk environments, such as farms or live animal markets, but the likelihood of transmission remains rare.

A total of 43 people died from bird flu in Cambodia between 2003 and 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

There were no cases between 2014 and 2022, following which the WHO reported an uptick as the virus killed four people in the kingdom in 2023 and two last year.

© 2025 AFP