6 children die at US rehabilitation centre

Six children were dead and 12 others sick following a viral outbreak at a rehabilitation centre in the US state of New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed 18 cases of adenovirus at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Haskell, Passaic County, Xinhua reported.

Adenovirus usually causes mild illnesses, but the health department said this outbreak was particularly severe because it affected medically fragile children with severely compromised immune systems.

"This strain has been particularly associated with disease in communal living facilities," the department said in a statement. "The combination of a worse strain of adenovirus together with a fragile population has led to a more severe outbreak."

The facility has been instructed not to admit any new patients until the outbreak ends.

A health department team is at the facility. An investigation is underway.

--IANS

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