A girl dies of avian flu in Cambodia, Spain extreme vigilance
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this Friday death of an 11 year old girl in Cambodia for bird flu, a disease that has also affected another person in the family.
According to the WHO, two confirmed cases of bird flu were reported, both members of the same family. One of the cases, an 11-year-old girl who unfortunately has passed away.
The WHO assured that "the global situation of the bird flu virus is worrisomegiven the spread of the virus in birds around the world and increasing reports of cases in mammals, including humans".
In Spain, the Ministry of Health maintains vigilance and coordination with both the Department of agriculture as with the autonomous communities against avian flu, a disease whose protocol has recently been updated to narrow the siege against possible cases of transmission in humans.
"The global situation of the avian influenza virus is concerning, given the spread of the virus in birds around the world and the increasing reports of cases in mammals, including humans"
new protocol
Sources from the Ministry of Health have indicated that the exhaustive surveillanceafter the cases of Cambodia.
Although the probability of transmission to humans of avian influenza is rare, even in contact with sick animals, Health seeks to reinforce action and prevention protocols since "future cases" are not ruled out.
The new protocol approved in early February by the Public Health Commission indicates that all exposed people will be subjected to a double watch that allows to detect the suspected cases of infection as early as possible and increase the probability of detecting asymptomatic cases.
In addition to the passive surveillance of compatible symptoms for early detection, the protocol states that a PCR screening of all exposed persons.
First case in Spain
Since January 2022, when a first positive was detected in the United Kingdom, workers from 22 farms have been controlled in Spain and, of the 177 tests on 253 exposed employees, all -with the exception of one case- have been negative.
It was on September 27 of last year when the first infection in a young farm worker in Guadalajaraasymptomatic and with a low viral load, and it was concluded that the finding corresponded to "contamination of the surface of the nasal or pharyngeal membrane", although it could not be specifically demonstrated.
The worker was isolated until the next day when a PCR that was negative and a contact study was carried out that only located a close one, which was also negative.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) has notified a total of 85 foci of A(H5N1) in wild birds -31 of them in summer- in 31 provinces and 36 outbreaks in poultry farms in 6 provinces.
