- Hospital officials: At least 64 children have been killed; 2 have survived
- Most of the 24 patients screened test positive for Enterovirus Type 71
- Children suffered swelling in their brains and died because their lungs failed
(CNN) -- Health officials say they have made an important discovery in the mystery surrounding the deaths of more than 60 children in Cambodia.
The Institut Pasteur in Cambodia tested samples taken from 24 patients and found 15 had tested positive for Enterovirus Type 71.
"These results now give a good explanation to this outbreak," Dr. Philippe Buchy, head of the institute's virology unit, said in an e-mail. "We will get more results hopefully by next Tuesday or Wednesday."
In milder cases, EV71 can cause coldlike symptoms, diarrhea and sores on the hands, feet and mouth, according to the journal Genetic Vaccines and Therapy.
But more severe cases can cause fluid to accumulate on the brain, resulting in polio-like paralysis and death.
Deadly disease kills Cambodian children There is no effective antiviral treatment for severe EV71 infections, and no vaccine is available.
Adults' well-developed immune systems usually can fend off the virus, but children are vulnerable to it, according to the CDC.
Over the past three months, at least 64 children have died mysteriously after suffering severe neurological and respiratory complications in Cambodia, Dr. Beat Richner of the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospitals said Sunday.
Richner said the patients suffered from encephalitis, which is the inflammation of the brain.
In their last hours of their life, the children suffered a "total destruction of the alveola(e) in the lungs," Richner said.
Only two of the children admitted to the hospitals have survived, said Richner, who first alerted Cambodia's health authorities about the unknown disease.
CNN's Madison Park and Tim Schwarz contributed to this report.
