Mystery illness in Vietnam sickens 191, country calls for help

(CBS/AP) A mystery illness in Vietnam has killed 19 people and sickened 191 others, promping the country's health ministry to call on international health experts for help.

The infection has mostly affected children and young people in an impoverished district in central Vietnam, according to officials. It begins with a high fever, loss of appetite and a rash that covers the hands and feet. Patients who are not treated early can develop liver problems and eventually face multi-organ failure, said Le Han Phong, chairman of the People's Committee in Ba To District in Quang Ngai province.

Nearly 100 people remain hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition while patients with milder symptoms are being treated at home. The illness responds well to treatment if detected early, but 29 patients have been reinfected, Phong said.

The Ministry of Health sent a team of health officials to the area earlier this month, but they were unable to determine the cause of the illness. The ministry has since asked the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help investigate.

World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jarasevic told CBS News in an email that the WHO is aware of the event and has seen international and local media reports on the outbreak.

"WHO is in contact with the Ministry of Health about this event and is ready to provide technical support," Jarasevic told CBS News. "We are not aware of any reports of similar symptoms elsewhere in Viet Nam. The reports would suggest that the incident is localized and restricted to Ba To district."

He also said there has been no evidence for human-to-human transmission of this disease.

"At CDC we are aware of the illness in Vietnam that is currently being reported in the media but we have not received a request for assistance from the Vietnam Ministry of Health or the World Health Organization," CDC Center for Global Health spokesperson Arleen Porcell told CBS News in an email.  "We will determine the level of response and assistance once a formal request is received from the MOH or WHO."

The ailment was first detected last April, but the number of cases had died down by October. A fresh spate of infections started last month, with 68 cases and eight deaths reported between March 27 and April 5, Phong said.

Most of the patients are from Ba Dien village in Ba To. It is one of the poorest districts in the province and home to many from the Hre ethnic minority.