PHNOM PENH - Health professionals from Cambodia and the World Health Organization are closer to identifying the mysterious disease that has killed at least 52 children, but the Philippines is not letting its guard down as it ordered the screening of all inbound travelers.
The latest laboratory results showed that Enterovirus Type 71 (EV-71) was found among children who had died from undiagnosed syndrome since April, according to a joint statement of Cambodia's Health Ministry and the WHO released Sunday midnight.EV-71,
"Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the patients' samples tested positive for Enterovirus 71," said the statement.
According to the joint statement, a final review of all tested hospitalized cases is being done to detect the undiagnosed syndrome.
Of the 59 children affected by the syndrome 52 have died, it said.
Sixty-four young children out of 66 admitted to the largest children's hospitals in Cambodia since the end of April were killed by encephalitis.
Philippe Buchy, head of Virology Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, wrote in an email on Sunday that 15 out of 24 patients with the encephalitis/pulmonary disease were tested positive for EV-71.
"These results now give a good explanation to this outbreak. We will get more results hopefully by next Tuesday or Wednesday," he wrote.
Cambodia's Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng said in the joint statement that further investigation is ongoing. "We hope to be able to conclude our investigation in the coming days," it said.
The EV-71 causes hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which results in severe complications and deaths among some patients, said the statement.
Strict screening of inbound travelers
In Manila, the Philippines has started screening inbound travelers in all its international airports.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona has instructed the Bureau of Quarantine to carry out routine screening procedures that can detect if an inbound traveler has fever. Fever, among other symptoms, was observed in the patients.
Despite an outbreak in a neighboring country, Ona said there is no travel restriction to and from Cambodia as the DOH is currently monitoring the situation through its National Epidemiology Center and the WHO office in Manila.
Young patients
Those affected by the disease range from 3 months to 11 years with majority of the patients being under 3 years old, said Cambodia’s health professionals and WHO in Phnom Penh.
The statement, however, added that laboratory samples were not available in majority of the cases as the patients have died before samples could be taken.
But based on those samples already taken, most of the cases tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV71) which causes hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) known to cause severe complications among some patients.
Some of the cases also tested positive for dengue but were negative for H5N1 and other influenza viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that plagued some Asian countries in 2003.
HFMD is a common disease among infants and children. Its symptoms include fever, painful sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters on hands, feet and buttocks. It is commonly caused by coxsackievirus A16, which usually results in mild self-limiting disease with a few complications. However, HFMD is also caused by Enteroviruses (EV71), which is known to result to severe complications including death.
HFMD normally affects children under 10 years old with younger children having the worse symptoms. The virus is contagious and spreads by direct contact through nose discharge, saliva, fluid from blisters, or stool from infected persons.
The Philippines has maintained an effective emergency response and surveillance system despite a global epidemic brought by SARS in 2003 and the H1N1 virus in 2009 that resulted to minimal damage in public health and resources.
source: interaksyon.com
