5th Australian Child dies of Mystery Illness
Pastor Dale Morgan
5th Australian Child dies of Mystery Illness*
August 08, 2007 12:00am
Article from: Herald Sun
HEALTH officials are investigating whether flu killed a five-year-old
Melbourne boy.
Urgent public health tests were ordered as an autopsy last night
indicated Ethan Ioannou, of Berwick, suffered a viral attack to his lungs.
Carers for the sick and elderly were urged to watch for flu symptoms,
including fever, headache, lethargy and coughing.
Health specialists will interview Ethan's GP and check his family.
Relatives last night said Ethan had two sisters and a brother, who
attended Brentwood Primary School.
His distraught mother, Alexis Ioannou, declined to speak publicly.
Ethan was dead before paramedics arrived at his home just before 9am
yesterday.
He had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Flu has been linked to the deaths of three children in Western Australia
and one in Queensland in recent weeks.
Health authorities have been notified of 225 flu cases this year,
including dozens in the past week.
Tests for both the A and B flu strains are among those being conducted
on samples from Ethan.
The tests are being carried out at the Victorian Infectious Diseases
Reference Laboratory in North Melbourne.
Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said it could be
up to 24 hours before the results were known.
Mr Alexander said it was "premature" to blame flu for the death.
"The tests are part of the mechanisms in place to make sure we know what
flu strains are out there," he said.
"We are waiting to confirm a diagnosis or test results. We need to keep
an open mind."
Local police oversaw the autopsy and the homicide squad was notified,
but Ethan's death was not thought to be suspicious.
Mr Alexander said it was unknown how long the child had been ill, or
whether he had suffered from any other ailments.
The coroner will determine the cause of death.