Outbreak: Killer Virus in Malaysia

The death in southern Malaysia came as new cases of the illness were reported despite official claims that the virus had been brought under control. Amirul Fitri Mohamad Nor died Thursday afternoon in a hospital in Johor state after battling the hand, foot and mouth disease for two weeks, New Straits Times said. He was admitted in a coma on Oct. 6. Amirul's death was the second in Johor state, which is adjacent to Singapore, from where the killer virus appeared to have spread to Malaysia. One child died in Kuala Lumpur this month and another died in the northern state of Kedah in September. Nearly 600 children have been afflicted by the disease in Johor alone. There are no reliable estimates for the other states. Four children have died in Singapore, but the city-state now says it had controlled the spread. "The situation in Johor has improved, with only mild cases admitted," said Malaysia's Health Minister Chua Jui Meng, playing down the danger. "We pray that the number of cases will decline further," he was quoted as saying by The Sun daily. The New Straits Times said 23 fresh cases of hand, foot and mouth disease were admitted to hospitals in Johor on Wednesday alone. When the disease spread in Singapore, the administration there shut down childcare centers, kindergartens and play areas. But Malaysia rejected that prescription, except in Johor, saying it was not necessary. At least 30 children died in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo island in 1997 in an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease. Officials in Singapore claimed on Thursday that the disease was being caused by the deadly virus known as enterovirus 71. Enterovirus 71 was blamed for the deaths of more than 50 children in Taiwan in a 1998 outbreak. The virus is one of several kinds that causes hand, foot and mouth disease. The disease is not usually life-threatening but sometimes causes potentially fatal inflammation of the heart muscles, spinal cord or brain.

(AP)