The boy fell ill on 31 December 2000. His condition deteriorated in the early hours of 3 January 2001 at home and subsequently died on the way to hospital.
Postmortem investigations are in progress.
Preliminary investigations revealed that three Singaporean families comprising six adults and seven children, including the deceased, had recently travelled together. Six of the seven children became ill several days after returning to Singapore. As a precautionary measure, all the children who travelled together have been placed under observation at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. All are in stable condition. Pre-school centres are being reminded to observe proper hygiene and sanitation in their premises and isolate any child who is unwell.