The Ministry of Health has informed the Centre for Health Protection about reports of deaths due to unknown cause in Sichuan, and the centre is closely monitoring the latest development.

Xinhua News reported an unknown disease struck 20 villagers in Ziyang, Sichuan, between June 24 and July 21. They all began with a high fever, fatigue, nausea and vomiting and became comatose later with bruises under the skin.

The patients, 19 men and a woman, are all farmers aged 30 to 70. They all butchered sick pigs or sheep before coming down with the strange disease, a preliminary investigation has found. By July 21, nine patients died and one has recovered. Ten more are still being treated. Their close contacts have not been infected.

Precautionary measures recommended

The public should take precautionary measures during travel, especially to rural areas:

* wear long-sleeve clothes and trousers, and use insect repellants to avoid insect bites;

* clean and cover wounds properly and avoid exposing open wounds to soil, polluted stream or pond water and any contaminated object;

* avoid contact with sick or dead animals and their excreta or body fluid;

* avoid contact with unknown chemicals, including agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, rodenticides;

* maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene practices; and

* seeking medical advice if not feeling well.