Indonesia detects 15 cases of severe hepatitis after three child deaths

An estimated 600,000 people die every year from hepatitis-B related liver diseases, making HBV a bigger killer than malaria. - Jakarta Post/ANN

JAKARTA, May 9 (Reuters): Indonesia has identified 15 cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin after reporting three deaths among children, the country's health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a news briefing on Monday.

The World Health Organisation said last week that it had received reports of at least 228 probable cases from 20 countries of child hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver.