Outbreak of Illness and Death Among Children in Cambodia

In early July 2012, an outbreak of severe illness with high mortality was reported by the Ministry of Health in Cambodia. According to a WHO report dated July 13, 78 cases in 14 provinces had been identified since April, mostly in children aged <3 years.

Investigation focused on the 61 children who met the case definition, of whom 54 had died. Illness manifestations included respiratory symptoms, fever, and generalized neurological abnormalities; children who died usually did so within 24 hours after hospital admission. Samples from 31 patients were tested for a variety of pathogens by Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, and “most” tested positive for enterovirus 71 (EV-71); a few also tested positive for dengue virus or Streptococcus suis. On Jul…