Last week, Cambodia announced its sixth case of bird flu. That case has now resulted in the country’s fifth death.
According to the country’s Ministry of Health, the 52-year-old man became infected with the HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) after he had handled sick and dead poultry only two days before experiencing symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. The man lived in Prasat village in Svay Rieng province.
Three children and another adult man have also died from H5N1 infections in Cambodia this year. The non-fatal infection occurred in an adult woman who did not report handling sickened poultry, according to the University of Minnesota’s CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy).
According to media reports, it is not yet known which strain of H5N1 was involved in the latest Cambodian case. The main suspect, though, is the clade 2.3.2.1c, an older variant that remains endemic in the country. It appears that this clade is a likely culprit.
Another strain of the HPAI has also been circulating. Three new cases of H9N2 avian flu were reported last week to the World Health Organization (WHO) from the Western Pacific Region. All three case-patients had poultry exposure.
The US Department of Agriculture is considering, for the first time, a plan to vaccinate poultry against avian flu, Reuters reported late last week. The plan would include evaluating how vaccination would affect exports. – CIDRAP
Just the logistics of vaccinating all poultry make this seem not just unlikely, but impossible. There is almost no way the health officials can mass vaccinate all the poultry on the planet. And, even if they could, what about all the wild birds and the fact that no vaccine stops transmission? So what’s the point?
What do you think? Do you believe they will attempt a mass vaccination campaign on poultry? Or will this spread to humans and they’ll push the mass vaccination on humanity instead of birds? What’s going on here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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