PHNOM PENH, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A two-year-and-seven-month-old boy from southeast Cambodia's Prey Veng province has died of H5N1 avian influenza, becoming the second death in 2025, the Ministry of Health has said.

A laboratory result from the National Institute of Public Health showed that the boy was positive for H5N1 virus, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Although our team of doctors had provided him with intensive care, the boy died on Tuesday, because his parents had just brought him to the hospital, and he had severe conditions, with the symptoms of fever, cough, and dyspnea," it added.

The ill-fated toddler lived in Ta Ngak village of Preah Sdach district's Romchek commune.

"According to queries, the patient's family has a chicken farm and about 15 chickens had died, as some others fell ill, and the boy slept and played under his stilt house near a chicken coop," the statement said.

Health authorities were looking into the source of the infection and examining any suspected cases or people who have been in contact with the victim in order to prevent an outbreak in the community, it added.

H5N1 virus normally spreads between sick poultry, but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans, and its symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and severe respiratory illness.

The Ministry of Health called on people to be vigilant and not to eat ill or dead poultry, saying that bird flu still poses a threat to people's health.

Since 2003, there have been 74 cases of human infection with H5N1 virus, including 45 deaths in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry. Enditem

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