'WA kids killed by flu-bacteria combo'
THREE Perth children who died within 24 hours of falling ill had contracted a combination of a flu strain and a pneumonia-causing bacterial infection, the West Australian Health Department says.
The department's Communicable Disease Control director Dr Paul Van Buynder said all three children were under the age of five.
"It's apparent that all three of the children who had tragic consequences had very similar illnesses that started with a mild Influenza A infection and gone on from there to develop secondary bacterial complications,'' Dr Van Buynder said.
"Most of the children who have a secondary bacterial infection will develop a full-blown pneumonia and that will be part of the cause of the tragic consequences.''
Dr Van Buynder said an investigation by the health department had not discovered any links between the three dead children.
Ten children an hour had been seen today, close to double the normal rate
clipped from: www.news.com.au