Researchers isolate Coxsackie virus

A team of local researchers here believe they have isolated the virus that caused the so-called Coxsackie outbreak in 1997 that killed dozens of children here.
The researchers concluded that an unusual interaction between a normally non-fatal virus called the "EV71" and a new strain of virus called "Sibu 97" produced the killer symptoms.
The three-man research team, comprising Prof Dr Mary Jane Cardosa of the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM), and David Perera and Yuwana Podin of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), have not named the new virus.
In 1997, scientists were baffled by the deaths of dozens of seemingly healthy children in Sarawak.
The children, 34 of whom eventually died, had symptoms similar to hand, foot and mouth disease, which was normally non-fatal and caused by the Coxsakie and EV71 virus.
However, the 34 children who died had heart problems and complications of the central nervous system.
The researchers immediately tried to isolate the killer virus using the normal methods of swabs and fluids from the patients, but quickly found that available tests and methods did not work well on these new pathogens.
They had a breakthrough in 2003, when they managed to cultivate a new strain which they called Sibu 97.
Currently, Perera is researching why the Sibu 97 virus and other enteroviruses cause severe disease in some patients.
Podin plans to visit four areas of Sarawak to test for the presence of the virus.
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