Mystery illness claims dozens of Cambodian children

The World Health Organization is helping the Cambodian Ministry of Health investigate the cause of a mysterious illness that has killed dozens of children in the country since April.

A joint statement from the WHO and the ministry, released Wednesday, said 61 of 62 children admitted to hospital had died from the disease. The majority of the reported cases came from southern and central Cambodia.

"The Ministry of Health and WHO are currently investigating the cases," Mam Bunheng, the Cambodian minister of health, said in the statement, "possible causes of the disease are being considered, but definite identification of the cause and source may take some time."

Breeding MIracle TICNews

Dr. Sigfreed VanDerfly of the Institute for Diptera Research located in Brussels, near the site of the Langlaglfuer Landfill, recently announced that after many years, had a breakthrough. After all the research, experiments, training and crossbreeding, they had developed a fly that could walk on his hind legs.

He was quoted as saying, "This could cut some disease epidemics almost in half."

He further explained, "The Diptera,(di meaning two and ptera meaning wings), is of great importance as disease transmitters, acting as vectors for malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, yellow fever, encephalitis and other infectious diseases."

He was asked how this research could cut down disease on such a large scale, he replied, "If their feet transmit the disease, and we are not sure, his hind two feet would transmit half of the diseases, rather than all four feet. We have cut the "transmition possibility" in half."