Respiratory illness under investigation in Cambodia

6 July 2012 - The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia is conducting active investigation into the cause of a recent undiagnosed syndrome that has caused illness and deaths among children in the country. Preliminary findings of the investigation identified a total of 74 cases who were hospitalised from April to 5 July 2012. The majority of the identified cases to date were under three years old. Most of them were from the southern and central parts of the country and received treatment at Kantha Bopha Children’s hospital, which is a reference paediatric hospital. Available samples have been tested at the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia. Although a causative agent remains to be formally identified, all these samples were found negative for H5N1 and other influenza viruses, SARS, and Nipah.

Further information may be found on the WHO website. http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_07_06a/en/index.html