DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Philippine gov't confirms infant infected with Enterovirus-71” plus 1 more

MANILA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Friday a case of a one-year-and-seven-month-old boy infected with Enterovirus-71 (EV-71), an illness that killed at least 52 children in Cambodia.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the infant, who came from the southern city of Davao, was one of the eight suspected hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases reported to the DOH. HFMD is also caused by Enterovirus, including EV-71.

But the health chief said the boy survived from the illness.

"The boy developed fever and rashes on his hands, soles of feet, mouth, and buttocks last July 6. The boy had no history of travel outside the country. A consultation was sought at a local health facility. He was sent home and has since recovered very well. No other cases were reported in their household nor in the community, " Ona said.

He said that of the eight suspected HFMD cases, six tested positive for the screening test. After the confirmatory test, all but one was negative for EV-71. These will be further tested for Coxsackie A16, which is also associated with HFMD.

Ona reminded the public to be vigilant to prevent any illness.

"Prevention relies on individual personal hygiene and hand washing; shared toys or teaching tools in daycare should be cleaned, washed and disinfected as they easily become contaminated, " he said.

PHNOM PENH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Lightning strikes had killed 64 Cambodian people in the first six months of this year, a 35 percent decrease compared with the 99 deaths at the same period last year, a senior disaster official said Friday.

Thirteen of the dead were female and most of the victims lived in rural areas, said Keo Vy, chief of the Cabinet of the National Committee for Disaster Management.

Besides the dead, the lighting strikes had also injured 63 others.

He said that the decrease in death toll is thanks to the government's efforts in educating people about how to make themselves safe from lightning strikes and people themselves are very careful and just stay in homes when there are torrential rains and lightning.

Lightning occurs every year in Cambodia, especially, in rainy season which begins from May through October.

In the whole year of 2011, lightning strikes killed 165 people and injured 139 others.