Pools, nurseries closed in Sarawak

Pools, nurseries closed in Sarawak

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Malaysia's Sarawak state has ordered all public pools, kindergartens and nurseries to close temporarily, following the outbreak of a deadly virus that has killed 15 children since April, news reports said yesterday.

The Health Ministry issued the directive to prevent the spread of the Coxsackie B virus, which has so far hit the state capital, Kuching, as well as the towns of Sibu and Sarikei.

The virus causes high fever, rashes and sore throats, and eventually attacks the brain and heart. All the victims have been under the age of seven years, and 15 more children are being treated in isolation wards.

The ministry told worried parents not to panic, saying the contagion is under control. There is no definitive treatment for those infected with the virus, named after a town in New York state, in the U.S. where it was first detected in 1948.