Teng Sopheak, the 19-year-old man diagnosed this month with avian influenza, was released from Calmette hospital Saturday with a clean bill of health, officials said Monday.
An X-ray of his lungs showed no sign of the H5N1 virus, which is prevalent in wild and domestic fowl and can occasionally spread to humans.
“Now Teng Sopheak has departed for his hometown in Stung Trang district, Kandal province,” said Heng Taykry, director of Calmette hospital and secretary of state for the Ministry of Health.
Avian influenza has killed seven Cambodians since 2005, but the wider concern is that the virus could mutant into a more contagious form for humans.
Teng Sopheak was hospitalized earlier this month after falling ill in late November. His illness, which followed the consumption of poultry during the annual Water Festival, led to the discovery of avian influenza in Kandal province’s chicken population.
More than 300 chickens have so far been culled, and health officials have since been working to educate residents in the area on the safe handling, preparation and cooking of poultry.