Officials have confirmed the presence of the H5N1 “bird flu” virus in poultry in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district, following the infection of one man last month.
Officials said Wednesday they will have to disinfect the area destroy hundreds of birds in an effort to contain the spread of the virus, which experts fear could mutate into a more dangerous form for humans.
People will be forced to stop the sale and transport of chickens in a three-kilometer radius in the area, while a 30-day inspection ensues.
On Wednesday morning, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture inspected Kandal poultry farms.
The ministry decided to kill 326 chickens, said Kao Phal, director of the agriculture department, “and we will continue with more chickens and ducks in the area.”
Ly Sovann, deputy director of the disease outbreak department of the Ministry of Health confirmed Wednesday there were areas that had been affected by the disease, but it had not mutated into something more dangerous for humans.
Avian influenza has killed at least seven Cambodians since 2005, though the most recent case has not been fatal.