A marketplace on the Mekong River
Last week, the World Health Organization reported that an unknown respiratory disease was killing children in Cambodia at terrifying rates
. The latest word is that of the 59 kids admitted to hospitals with the disease since April, 52 have died. Mara Hvistendahl at ScienceInsiderhas corresponded with the team of virologists in Phnom Penh
who are working to identify the illness, and while the diagnosis isn't certain, they say that they've found signs of Enterovirus 71 in cerebrospinal fluid from 15 patients. Enterovirus 71 is one of the causes of hand, foot, and mouth disease
, a usually benign childhood infection that causes a rash, vomiting, and other symptoms. The disease is very common and usually clears up in a week or so, and, as with most viral infections, has no cure to speak of. A small proportion of patients with hand, foot, and ...
