Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Outbreak 2024 in Cambodia: Worries Over the Possible Spread of the Virus to Other Asian Nations and the Strategic Outlook for its Control

Abstract

Asia has been alarmed by the resurgence of avian influenza A (H5N1) in Cambodia in 2024. H5N1 could be swiftly transmitted by wild birds to poultry populations along their migration route via infection. Circulation of endemic H5N1 in Asian poultry facilitates recurrent human transmission. Cambodia’s role as a reservoir heightens the potential dangers of uncoordinated containment and surveillance across Southeast Asia. This correspondence addresses the risk factors, seasonal patterns, transmission dynamics, and potential pathways for the global dissemination of H5N1. This underscores the criticality of supervising regional initiatives aimed at eliminating the virus from poultry and humans, before its potential escalation into a deadly influenza pandemic across Asia.