The first outbreak of H5N1 this year was confirmed in Kampot province on May 10, health officials said yesterday.

A total of 349 chickens, one duck and 37 chicken eggs, belonging to seven families in Chhouk district’s Koh Russei village, were culled and burned by health officials to prevent the virus from spreading further, said Chan Rith, provincial agriculture department director.

Four human cases were also suspected, but blood samples confirmed there was no infection, Rith said.

“We advised the people not to eat the sick or dead animals, and they need to cage the sick animals in a separate place,” he said.

“We will assign experts to monitor [the situation] to make sure that there is no transportation of animals from the nearby areas until we reach 30 days after the outbreak.”

Ministry of Health spokesman Ly Sovann said the ministry will monitor the health of the villagers who were tested for the next two weeks.

He appealed to the public to practice proper hygiene, and not eat or touch sick animals. If a person who has handled an animal comes down with flu symptoms, the person is advised to seek medical attention.

“Bird flu keeps happening rampantly in our country, so precaution is the most important [step],” Sovann said.

A bird flu outbreak last November in Siem Reap and Battambang provinces saw more than 4,000 ducks killed by the virus or culled to prevent further spread.