BREAKING! Human-to-Human Transmissions of H5N1 Are Possibly Already Occurring in Cambodia!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jun 26, 2025 4 hours, 16 minutes ago
Medical News: A Potential Global Crisis in Southeast Asia
Cambodia is teetering on the edge of a public health catastrophe as the H5N1 avian influenza virus, notorious for its high mortality rate, surges through the nation. Reports of human infections and deaths have escalated in 2025, with the Cambodian Ministry of Health confirming seven human cases this year, six of which have been fatal. The most recent case, reported on June 24, 2025, involves a 41-year-old woman from Siem Reap province, now in critical condition.
https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofHealthofCambodia/videos/1782052602395228
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/cambodia/cambodia-h5n1-tracking/1015125-cambodia-records-7th-human-case-of-h5n1-bird-flu-in-2025
But whispers of a darker truth are emerging: human-to-human transmission of H5N1 may already be occurring, and the situation could be far worse than official reports suggest.
Human-to-Human Transmissions of H5N1 Are Possibly Already Occurring in Cambodia!
It was also confirmed that the woman was infected with the new H5N1 virus sublineage that has mutations, including PB2 E627K, that have been linked to adaptation to mammals and airborne transmission.
Disturbing Reports and Concealed Data
Unverified local
Medical News reports has raised alarms, suggesting that Cambodian health officials are concealing the true scale of the H5N1 outbreak. Sources indicate that the infection and death rates could be significantly higher than the reported figures, with rural areas particularly hard-hit. There are local reports and local social media post that claim a number of people in the vicinity are also experiencing severe respiratory symptoms and also neurological issues.
Since early 2023, Cambodia has recorded 19 human cases, with a staggering 50% mortality rate. Most of these cases were as result of direct exposure to infected poultry.
However, in the recent case involving a 65-year-old woman..there was lacked of any poultry exposure, hinting at possible human-to-human spread. The novel reassortant virus, combining the older 2.3.2.1c clade with genes from the globally circulating 2.3.4.4b clade, is particularly concerning due to mutations linked to mammalian adaptation and airborne transmission. Yet, Cambodian authorities have been tight-lipped, releasing minimal data and downplaying the crisis, leaving experts and the public in the dark.
A Call for International Intervention
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international agencies must urgently intervene to assess the true extent of the outbreak. Cambodia’s history of sporadic H5N1 cases, coupled with its high case fatality ratio (59.7% from 2003 to 2024), underscores the
virus’s lethality. The WHO has noted that while sustained human-to-human transmission is not yet confirmed, the virus’s evolution and recent case patterns demand close scrutiny. A One Health approach, involving collaboration with the CDC, FAO, and local health bodies like the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, is critical to trace the virus’s spread and implement containment measures. Without transparent data and robust surveillance, the risk of a global pandemic looms large.
Urgent Travel and Border Measures
To protect global health, travel warnings for Cambodia should be issued immediately, and consideration given to suspending non-essential travel. Border closures with neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, already strained by recent disputes, are a necessary precaution to prevent cross-border spread.
The virus’s potential to spread beyond poultry-to-human transmission, as suggested by cases without clear animal exposure, heightens the urgency. Cambodia’s porous borders and active poultry trade exacerbate the risk, making containment a regional priority.
A Race Against Time
Cambodia’s H5N1 outbreak is a ticking time bomb. With possible human-to-human transmission, concealed data, and a virus evolving to become more transmissible, the world cannot afford to wait. International agencies must act swiftly, and nations should impose travel restrictions and border controls to halt the spread. The stakes are nothing less than global health security.
Keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News on more updates on the H5N1 situation in Cambodia.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/h5n1-bird-flu-vaccines-are-accelerating-viral-evolution-as-currently-observed-in-china
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/a-more-transmissible-and-possibly-lethal-h5n1-strain-hutx37-h5n1-discovered-in-an-infected-farmworker-in-america
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/h5n1-avian-flu
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