INDONESIA – The country’s Health Ministry is currently operating under a heightened
state of vigilance to monitor the recent development of a mysterious disease
that reportedly has killed more than 50 children in Cambodia since April.
The Health Ministry’s Director
General for Disease Control and Environmental Health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama,
said on Monday that his ministry had been corresponding with the World Health
Organization (WHO) and the Cambodian Health Ministry to gather information
about the disease’s symptoms, and determine whether or not the disease might
spread to other countries.
“Currently, the Cambodian Health
Ministry and the WHO have yet to collect all the data [needed]. Therefore, we
can only refer to the disease as an undiagnosed syndrome and a
neuro-respiratory syndrome,” Tjandra said as quoted by Antara news agency.
The Cambodian Health Ministry
recorded that among the infected children, 59 were between 3 months and 11
years old and 52 were under the age of 5.
“Our laboratory sample is
incomplete because most children died before they received treatment. Some who
received treatment, however, show that they were infected by EV71,” Tjandra
said.
The EV71 is a virus that causes
hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). It causes severe complications and death
among some patients. HFMD is a common infectious disease among infants and
children.
People who are infected with EV71
may have symptoms such as fever, painful sores in the mouth and a rash with
blisters on the hands, feet and buttocks.
Source: The Jakarta Post
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