Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/outbreak-09252015150455.html
North Korean Children Left Untreated After Tuberculous Meningitis Outbreak
2015-09-25
recent outbreak of tuberculous meningitis in North Korea has left many children dead and others crippled after authorities failed to diagnose and treat the infection in a timely manner, according to sources inside the country.
Many parents have also been unable to cure their sons and daughters of the infection, which can cause death if left untreated, due to the scarcity of pharmaceuticals in the impoverished country, as well as the enormous costs associated with treatment, the sources told RFA?s Korean Service.
A large number of urban schools and daycare centers in North Korea were affected with cases of tuberculous meningitis?a bacterial infection of the brain and spinal cord?between July and August, according to one source from North Hamgyong province, near the border with China.
While authorities moved quickly to shutter the facilities and control the spread of the infection, mortality rates among children already affected have been high, he said, while those who have not died continue to experience severe symptoms due to a lack of complete treatment...
North Korean Children Left Untreated After Tuberculous Meningitis Outbreak
2015-09-25
recent outbreak of tuberculous meningitis in North Korea has left many children dead and others crippled after authorities failed to diagnose and treat the infection in a timely manner, according to sources inside the country.
Many parents have also been unable to cure their sons and daughters of the infection, which can cause death if left untreated, due to the scarcity of pharmaceuticals in the impoverished country, as well as the enormous costs associated with treatment, the sources told RFA?s Korean Service.
A large number of urban schools and daycare centers in North Korea were affected with cases of tuberculous meningitis?a bacterial infection of the brain and spinal cord?between July and August, according to one source from North Hamgyong province, near the border with China.
While authorities moved quickly to shutter the facilities and control the spread of the infection, mortality rates among children already affected have been high, he said, while those who have not died continue to experience severe symptoms due to a lack of complete treatment...