Myanmar denies occurrence of Ebola case in country

Myanmar's Ministry of Health has denied rumors that a child hospitalized in Sittway, western Rakhine state, was infected with Ebola virus, sources with the ministry said Wednesday.
Refuting a report that spread on the Internet about the allegation, the ministry confirmed that the child is suffering from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), caused by sulphur toxicity.
The 6-year-old child, Maung Myo Linn Naing, took some medicine on July 21 after catching fever and was first hospitalized in Minbya in the state as the disease did not relieve. He was finally referred to the Sittway hospital on July 24.
SJS is said to be a potentially deadly skin disease that usual results from drug reaction and was mistakenly reported as Ebola on the Internet.
The ministry added that the condition of the child is improving.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is taking preventive measures against the spread of Ebola in the wake of discovery of such disease in four western African countries.
Detection of the virus is being done at airports and ports by using modern equipment, and training courses and infection control programs are being carried out at the country's heathcare facilities.
According to its earlier statement, the Health Ministry is cooperating with counterparts of other countries, UN agencies, local international non-governmental organizations and civil societies for the preventive measures.
"No one is yet detected with infection of Ebola," the statement said.