New H5N1 bird flu virus outbreak was recently discovered in Kampong Cham (Photo RFA)Phnom Penh (dpa) - Cambodian authorities destroyed about 200 ducks in the eastern province of Kampong Cham after tests detected the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in five of the birds, an agriculture official said Monday.
Chief of the Agricultural Department in Choeung Prey district, Son Sivon, said locals had reported ducks dying and the department had taken five carcasses for testing in early March.
He said the government had paid farmers compensation for each bird before slaughtering the remainder of the flock and burying them. No humans who had been in contact with the birds had shown any symptoms and were believed to be clear of the disease.
It was unclear where the disease had originated. Choeung Prey lies close to an intersection linking the capital of Phnom Penh with Thailand through Siem Reap, and with Vietnam through the provincial capital of Kampong Cham. However, an outbreak of the virus in a nearby district last month was attributed to migratory wild birds infecting livestock.
Cambodia has so far not suffered as badly from bird flu as either of those two neighbouring countries. However, it has confirmed four human deaths from the disease so far and has culled tens of thousands of birds in an effort to contain potential outbreaks.
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