The Communicable Disease Control Department (CDC) under the Ministry of Health said they had discovered a case of influenza A/H9, or bird flu, in a one-year-old girl through its pneumonia surveillance system. The child displayed several symptoms – including a high fever, coughing, and breathing difficulties.

The girl, from Russey Loak commune's Trapeang Run village in Siem Reap province’s Chi Kraeng district, has been admitted to Angkor Hospital for Children for treatment.

The CDC said Trapeang Run village had experienced chickens dying since February, but it was only in March that a laboratory test result confirmed that the girl was positive for Influenza A/H9.

Following the discovery, the ministry dispatched a team of communicable disease experts to Siem Reap. They will work with the province’s emergency response teams and educate locals on what preventative measures they should employ.

The CDC called on the general public to report unusual poultry deaths to their local veterinarian and local authorities, or to contact the ministry through its 115 emergency hotline.