Friday, February 24, 2006
Avian influenza ( bird flu ) found in Cambodia
Officials in Cambodia are confirming that several ducks that were found dead in Cambodia’s Kompong Cham province have the H5N1 bird flu virus.
On Friday, Yim Venthan, secretary of state of Ministry of Agriculture, said that samples taken from several ducks about two weeks ago in Kompong Cham province, returned positive results for the H5N1 bird flu virus, but that so far no human infections have been found in the area.
He also said that the remaining ducks from the flock that the virus was found in, were culled by authorities. “We have conducted surveillance in the nearby village, but no further cases of the bird flu virus have been found,” Yim Venthan said.
He also said that “it is not easy to cull the animals as the villagers fear they might lose the profit from the birds they raise. This particular villiage raises about 1,000 ducks.