25 Nov 2015

Children in Papua die from mystery disease

1:44 pm on 25 November 2015

About 40 children have died of an unexplained illness in Papua.

The Jakarta Post reports as many as 41 below the age of seven have died in the Indonesian province's Ndguga regency following the start of the rainy season early this month.

The paper reports health workers have travelled to Mbuwa district but have yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

The Mbuwa district chief Erias Gwijangge told the paper the children presented with a slight illness at first but died shortly afterwards.

He said the area had experienced drought and haze from forest fires.

When rain fell recently a number of livestock, such as pigs and poultry, also died abruptly.