China: 2009 HFMD cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200901/20090124/article_389158.htm

HFMD claims life of toddler
Source: Xinhua | 2009-1-24 | NEWSPAPER EDITION

A TODDLER has died of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Anhui Province in east China, the local health authority said yesterday.

The 17-month-old boy, surnamed Hou, was rushed to hospital last Sunday night after showing symptoms of fever and rashes on his hands and buttocks. He had been vomiting for about two days, the provincial health administration said.

His condition worsened the next morning and he died while being treated as an emergency case after he had been transferred to a senior hospital.

The boy died of pulmonary edema and hemorrhaging caused by HFMD, the administration said.

Doctors did not have time to conduct virus tests as the boy's condition required urgent treatment.

Dozens of HFMD cases have been reported this month in Anhui, particularly in Bozhou and Fuyang cities.

The No. 2 People's Hospital of Fuyang had admitted 15 children as of yesterday. All the patients are in stable condition.

The administration issued a circular asking local health authorities and hospitals to improve disease surveillance, reporting and treatment.

HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) are the most common. It usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters, ulcers in the mouth and rashes on hands and feet.

It can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.

There was an outbreak in southern China in the spring. In Fuyang, the worst-hit area, 22 children died of an intestinal virus found to be EV71.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-03/20/content_7599092.htm

Officials fired for inaction on epidemic
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-20 09:37

ZHENGZHOU -- Health officials were punished for failing to act to contain the contagious hand-foot-mouth disease after more than 200 cases were reported in a county in central China's Henan Province, a county official said Thursday.

Officials and doctors in Minquan County were fired or warned after 220 cases were reported from January 1 through Wednesday, said Wang Zhongtian, county head of Minquan.

"They should have done a better job since the (spread of the disease) is preventable," he told Xinhua. "Fortunately, the disease is under control in the county."

Wang dismissed claims that local medical staff had fabricated data to conceal the actual number of cases. The outbreak "is still under further investigation," he said.

A report on China National Radio said children with typical symptoms of the disease had been variously diagnosed as having meningitis, upper respiratory infections, intracranial infections or intestinal infections by doctors in Minquan and no symptoms related to hand-foot-mouth disease were mentioned in their medical records.

According to an initial investigation by the Henan Provincial Public Health Department, the odds of such a widespread fabrication are "fairly slim," Wang said.

But he said there were problems in the local medical records, with case histories that "have not been elaborated clearly."

Minquan reported the largest number of cases of hand-food-mouth disease in Henan, totaling 2,173 as of Wednesday, according to the Henan official figures.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/24/content_11060199.htm

Two babies die of hand, foot and mouth disease in east China
www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-24 00:19:46

JINAN, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Two baby boys in Heze City of east China's Shandong Province died of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) between Sunday and Monday, local authorities said.

A seven-month-old infant died at 8:23 p.m. Sunday, 10 hours after he was rushed to the Heze Infectious Disease Hospital. A 15-month-old boy died at noon Monday in the People's Hospital of Juancheng County, Shandong Provincial Health Department reported.

According to the Ministry of Health, HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackie virus (Cox A16) were the most common.

HFMD usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet. Those with EV71 often show serious symptoms. It can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPEK242330

China county accused of child virus cover-up
Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:53pm EDT

BEIJING, March 24 (Reuters) - Chinese state media accused a local government on Tuesday of covering up the number of children suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease and the number of deaths.

The government of Minquan county in central Henan province said only one child was killed by the virus, but there may be at least 10 more deaths cases in the region, the official China National Radio said on its website (www.cnr.cn).

"(The death toll) should be no less than double figures," the report said, citing anonymous hospital sources. Double figures in Chinese means more than 10.

Hand, foot and mouth is a common childhood illness and rarely fatal, but it can cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters.

There were possibly more than 2,000 children who had been infected by the disease, contradicting the official number of 277, since January, the report added, citing two doctors in Minquan People's Hospital.

Several officials had been punished for "failing to act" to contain the disease, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Calls to the Henan Health Bureau and Minquan local government went unanswered.

Xinhua said two toddlers died from hand, foot and mouth disease in neighbouring Shandong province. There were more than 502 cases in the city, a "high increase" from the same period last year, it said.

Earlier this year, a 17-month-old boy died of the disease in Lixin county in neighbouring Anhui province.

More than 40 Chinese children died in the spring of 2008 and thousands were infected when the illness was linked with enterovirus 71, which can cause a severe form of the disease characterised by high fever, paralysis and meningitis.

An outbreak in Fuyang, also in Anhui, was not made public until late April last year, provoking calls for officials to be sacked and triggering memories of the deadly SARS epidemic in 2003 that was also initially covered up. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Asia/Story/STIStory_353965.html

March 24, 2009
HFMD outbreak in China
BEIJING - THOUSANDS of children in east and central China have been sickened with hand, foot and mouth disease, a highly contagious illness that is sometimes fatal, the government and state press said on Tuesday.

Two children died of the disease, also known as enterovirus, over the weekend in Heze city in the eastern province of Shandong, the provincial medical department said on its website.

According to the Beijing News paper, tests on the causes of another four recent infant deaths in and around Heze were still being confirmed by doctors.

Symptoms of the highly contagious disease include fever and sores. It can be fatal in children due to their less-developed immune systems.

The disease, which is common in China, took an unusually high toll in the first few months of 2008, infecting nearly 25,000 people nationwide and killing around 40, according to government figures.

By comparison, 17 deaths were reported in 2007.

According to the Shandong medical department, just over 500 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease have been reported in the province this year.

Neighbouring Henan province has reported more than 2,100 cases this year, the local medical department said in a March 19 report posted on its website. -- AFP

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/GetSingleNews.aspx?ContentID=76056

03/27/2009
Hand, foot and mouth virus kills 18 children in China

Chinese health officials are dealing with an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease which has already killed 18 children so far this year. Officials said Friday that another 41,000 people have fallen ill from the disease.

Reports say that the outbreak appears more widespread than in recent years, with the number of infections doubling over last year.

The disease typically strikes infants and children. While it can sometimes be deadly, most cases are mild, with children recovering quickly after little more than a rash and a fever.

A spokeswoman for the World Health Organization in China said the apparent jump in the number of cases could be due to increased awareness and reporting of cases.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2009/200903/20090327/article_395668.htm

HFMD disease claims 18 children
By Jane Chen | 2009-3-27 | ONLINE EDITION

EIGHTEEN children have died from hand-foot-and-mouth disease in China in the last three months and more cases are expected, the Ministry of Health revealed today.

The ministry said there had been 41,846 cases recorded by noon yesterday in all provinces and regions excluding the Tibet Autonomous Region, ministry spokesman Deng Haihua said at a press conference this morning. Ninety-four children had developed severe symptoms, he said.

Deng said he expected more cases and that they would reach a peak in May and April when the disease would spread more easily in warm weather.

More than 93 percent of the affected children are under 5 years old, and laboratory tests show that nearly 75 percent were affected by the intestinal virus EV71, Deng said.

HMFD usually affects infants and children, and while occasionally fatal, most cases are mild, with the victims recovering quickly after suffering little more than a fever and rash.

Enterovirus 71, or EV71, and Cox Asckievirus A16 are the two major intestinal viruses that cause the disease.

Henan and Shandong are the worst-hit provinces and combined, they have recorded one-fifth of the all the nation's cases, Deng said.

Henan reported 4,761 cases, with 37 children showing severe symptoms. The seven deaths occurred in Kaifeng City (2), Zhoukou City (1), Minquan County (2) and Shangqiu City (2).

Shandong reported 3,280 cases with 39 children severely affected. Deaths occurred in Heze City (4) and Jining City (1).

A recent fatality involved a boy, identified only by his surname Liu. The boy was a native of Liuqiao Village, Caoxian County. He fell ill on Tuesday and died at 19:31 yesterday at Danxian County Central Hospital, according to the local health bureau.

Other deaths in Heze included a one-year-old girl identified as Wang, a 7-month-old boy identified as Liu and a 15-month-old boy identified as Zhang.

The inland city in coastal Shandong has reported 1,129 cases with 36 showing severe symptoms. Tests showed 36 children had been infected with the EV71 virus.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=80428&sid=23322719&con_type=1

Alarm as EV71 cases rise (Hong Kong)
Beatrice Siu
Thursday, April 02, 2009

For the second time in three days, a senior health official has warned of a possible outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease which has already hit tens of thousands of children in the mainland.

The warning is all the more alarming as enterovirus 71, which causes the disease, hit Hong Kong only last year when it normally comes around in cycles of three to four years, with May to July being the months when it is most prevalent.

Centre for Health Protection controller Thomas Tsang Ho-fai said yesterday eight local cases and one case of a person who had traveled to the mainland were reported last month, indicating this could be a "second successive peak year."

Only two EV71 cases were recorded in the same month in 2006 and 2008, with none reported in 2007.

There were 17 cases of institutional HFMD/herpangina - including EV71 cases - last month compared with five to eight cases for the same months from 2006 to 2008.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok on Monday said the flu season is ending but warned the EV71 threat should be taken seriously.

Tsang said the number of people with hand, foot and mouth disease in Shenzhen has increased 45 percent over the same period last year.

More than 70 percent of the 41,000-plus cases in the mainland were EV71 - 18 of which were fatal.

Previous "peaks" in Hong Kong were 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2008.

Generally, EV71 accounts for about 10 to 13 percent of all hand, foot and mouth diseases among children in peak years, but the ratio could hit 20 percent this year, Tsang said.

In Singapore and the mainland, the ratio can be between 50 and 70 percent.

Tsang said scientists have still to determine the environmental factors conducive to an EV71 outbreak but it is unlikely to be the weather.

So far, the virus has not mutated.

Health authorities plan to order schools to suspend classes for two weeks if an outbreak cannot be controlled.

Schools and care centers have been told to step up sterilization and emphasize personal hygiene, while the CHP will enhance education and propaganda at busy ports.

In Beijing, Health Minister Chen Zhu admitted there had been delayed reports of the disease because of substandard frontline medics and loopholes in the regulations.

World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun said she is confident China's health authorities will be able to deal with the outbreak.

Infectious disease expert Lo Wing- lok said that, with a long holiday coming up and more tourists expected to flock into Hong Kong, the number of infections could escalate. Lo said more than 90 percent of carriers do not display symptoms, making detection and quarantine difficult.

EV-71 usually attacks children below six and can lead to fatal encephalitis at the brain stem - which controls breathing and circulation - and myocarditis that causes heart failure.

The death rate is around 0.1 percent.

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Guangxi Health Department set up a sentinel hospital treated 128 patients with hand, foot and mouth

Health Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has hand, foot and mouth disease prevention and control of the work of the emergency plans called for the strengthening of the hand, foot and mouth disease and avian flu, such as monitoring and reporting of infectious diseases has been the implementation of hand, foot and mouth disease in 128 fixed-point and the public admitted to hospital to deal with hand, foot and mouth disease in the coming high season.

自治区卫生厅新闻办负责人透露，今年以来广西一些地方陆续有手足口病病例报告，但均以散发病例为主。​

Information Office of the Autonomous Region Health Department person in charge revealed that a number of places this year, Guangxi has been the report of hand, foot and mouth disease, but are mainly of sporadic cases.

鉴于目前手足口病逐渐进入高发季节，近日自治区卫生厅已发出紧急通知，要求各级疾控机构每日要对辖区内手足口病的报告情况进行审核、分析，一旦发现聚集性病例，要立即组织专业技术人员进行调查处理，防止疫情的扩散蔓延。​

Hand, foot and mouth disease in view of the current is entering the high season, the regional Health Department recently issued an urgent circular calling for disease control institutions at all levels to the area daily HFMD situation in the audit report, analysis, clusters of cases, once found, it is necessary to immediately organizations, professional and technical personnel to carry out the investigation and handling, to prevent the spread of the spread of the epidemic.

For all epidemic cases samples must be collected in order to timely information on the prevalence of the disease characteristics and etiological characteristics.

此外，自治区卫生厅还要求各二级（含）以上医院要成立和完善临床救治专家小组，各地要落实定点收治医院。​

In addition, the autonomous regions of the Health Department also requires two (inclusive) or more hospitals to set up and improve the clinical treatment group of experts around the hospital to implement the fixed-point hospital.

各级医疗机构完善发热门诊、预检分诊点的建设，确保早发现、早诊断、早隔离、早治疗手足口病等传染病人。​

Medical institutions at all levels improve the fever clinics, triage point for pre-construction to ensure the early discovery, early diagnosis, early quarantine, early treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease people.

村卫生室、个体诊所、门诊部、一级医疗机构（含卫生院）及其他非定点收治医疗机构发现疑似病例，必须立即转送至定点收治医院诊治。​

Village clinics, private clinics, clinics, a medical institution (including hospitals) and other non-fixed-point medical institutions treat suspected cases must be treated immediately transferred to the designated hospital for treatment.

目前，广西各地已落实128家手足口病收治定点医院并通过广西卫生信息网向社会公布。​

Currently, Guangxi has been implemented throughout the hand, foot and mouth disease in 128 hospitals and hospital hygiene through Guangxi to the public information network

http://translate.google.co.nz/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhealth.sohu.com%2F2
0090401%2Fn263148004.shtml&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-04/03/content_7644760.htm

HFMD kills at least 9 infants in E China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-03 00:32

JINAN -- At least nine infants have died of the contagious hand-foot-mouth disease since the beginning of the year in Shandong Province, the local health authority said Thursday.

The latest victims were named as Zhang Yapeng and Cao Jiakai, who died in Heze City on Wednesday.

Zhang, 20 months, was hospitalized on March 29 and died at about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to the provincal health administration.

Cao, 16 months, was admitted to hospital on March 30. He suffered breathing problems and his heartbeat stopped several times. He was moved to ICU Tuesday afternoon, but died at midnight.

Heze has registered seven deaths from the disease in the outbreak and Jining City two. The first victim was a 20-month boy who died in Heze on March 22.

In Shandong, 7,632 children were infected by the disease.

Heze has launched a major disinfection campaign particularly in the rural areas. More medical equipment have been sent to two key hospitals and medical staff are being trained in disease control.

The provincial health administration issued an order Wednesday that kindergartens must be closed for at least two weeks if two or more cases are diagnosed among pupils.

The disease, which is more common in summer and autumn, is not included in the routine reporting list of infectious diseases in China.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/155448/Hand-foot-mouth-disease-kills-9-in-China-province

Hand-foot-mouth disease kills 9 in China province
04/03/2009 | 01:16 PM

BEIJING ? Health officials on Friday ordered emergency medical teams to inspect hundreds of villages in eastern China amid a worsening hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak that has killed at least nine children in less than two weeks.

The deaths occurred in Shandong province, where no fatalities from the disease were recorded last year. But this spring's strain has been especially virulent, the provincial health bureau said in a news release.

At least seven deaths have occurred in the city of Heze alone, the release said, with the first reported on March 22. The other two were reported in the nearby city of Jining, it said.

The emergency inspections will cover 600 villages under Heze's jurisdiction, the city's health bureau said in a statement.

The cases are part of a nationwide outbreak that has killed 19 children as of March 26. It's not immediately clear if the nine in Shandong are part of the tally. Calls to the Health Ministry were not answered.

As of this year, more than 41,000 cases have been reported. Almost 95 percent of the cases were children younger than 5, the Health Ministry has said, and 75 percent of all cases tested positive for the EV-71 virus, a particularly dangerous strain.

State media reported last year that the virus sickened 27,000 people and killed dozens nationwide in the first few months of 2008 before reports of outbreaks subsided in May. China's central Anhui was the worst-hit province with 26 deaths. It's not known how many died nationwide.

Last weekend, Health Minister Chen Zhu urged medical workers to fan out across the country's rural areas to detect and prevent cases of the disease, which typically strikes infants and children. While occasionally deadly, most cases are mild, with children recovering quickly.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is characterized by fever, mouth sores and a rash with blisters. It is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons.

It is not related to hoof-and-mouth disease, which infects cattle, sheep and pigs. - AP

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/04/content_11129427.htm

Two more infants die of hand-foot-mouth disease in E China
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-04 07:27:06

JINAN, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Two more Chinese infants died from hand-foot-mouth disease Thursday, bringing the death toll from the outbreak in Shandong Province this year to 11, the local health authority said Friday.

The latest victims were a girl surnamed Liu and a boy surnamed Chen, who died in Heze City. Both of them were a year old, according to the provincial health administration.

No more information was available.

Heze has registered nine deaths from the disease in the outbreak and Jining City two this year. The first victim was a 20-month boy who died in Heze on March 22.

In Shandong, at least 7,632 children were infected by the disease as of Thursday. Another city in the province has reported two deaths.

Heze has been the worst-hit area with 3,800 reported infections as of Thursday, including 185 serious. So far, 2,704 have recovered.

The disease, which is more common in summer and autumn, is not included in the routine reporting list of infectious diseases in China.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/06/content_11140044.htm

Hand-foot-mouth disease kills 15 in east China province
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-06 22:33:37

JINAN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people have died of hand-foot-mouth disease this year in east China's Shandong Province with two more deaths reported, local health authority said Monday.

The two people, one from Heze City and the other from Liaocheng City, both died on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 15 in the province, according to the provincial health administration.

The administration did not provide further details about the two latest victims of the contagious disease.

As of Monday, all the 17 cities of the province have reported the disease. Totally 11,489 cases of the disease have been reported, among which 7,117 have been recovered.

Heze has registered 12 deaths from the disease in the outbreak, Jining City registered two and Liaocheng one, since the first victim, a 20-month boy, died in Heze on March 22.

Heze, the worst-hit area of Shandong confirmed totally 4,557 cases of the disease Sunday.

More than eighty experts on the provincial level from ten medical institutions have been sent to Heze to reinforce the assistance to local medical service.

The disease, which is more common in summer and autumn, is not included in the routine reporting list of infectious diseases in China.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

SOurce: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/06/content_11140112.htm

Hong Kong reports 13th confirmed EV71 infection this year
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-06 23:50:53

HONG KONG, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong health authorities said it received report on a confirmed case of enterovirus-71 infection on Monday, raising the number of such cases so far this year to 13.

A two-year-old boy involved in the case was said to have developed symptoms such as fever, vesicles and rashes over his hands and feet since March 16. He was admitted to a private hospital in Hong Kong on March 20.

Tests on stool specimen confirmed that the boy was infected with EV71 virus, said the Center for Health Protection, the Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The boy was discharged on March 22, it said.

The Center for Health Protection said the boy lived in the mainland, where he attended a kindergarten, and came to Hong Kong for medical consultation on March 17.

EV71 virus is one of the strains that could lead to hand, foot and mouth disease symptoms such as fever, vesicles and rashes on children in their kindergarten age. It can even lead to organ failures and death in extreme cases.

Health authorities in Hong Kong said the peak of EV71 infections in Hong Kong came "earlier" this year, compared with May to July in the past years.

Hong Kong has reported 13 confirmed cases of EV71 infections so far this year, compared with 16 cases for whole year in 2006, 12 in 2007 and 98 in 2008.

The hand, foot and mouth disease has recently been hitting the Chinese mainland hard recently, causing widespread concerns among parents in certain places.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://media-newswire.com/release_1088978.html

(Hong Kong)
CHP stays vigilant against HFMD and EV71

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is implementing a series of health measures in anticipation of the seasonal rise of Hand-Foot-Mouth Diseases (HFMD) and Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections, a CHP spokesman said today (April 3). While the peak season of HFMD and EV71 infections in Hong Kong usually comes between May and July, the spokesman said there are signs that the onset of the peak season may occur earlier this year.

(Media-Newswire.com) - The Centre for Health Protection ( CHP ) of the Department of Health is implementing a series of health measures in anticipation of the seasonal rise of Hand-Foot-Mouth Diseases ( HFMD ) and Enterovirus 71 ( EV71 ) infections, a CHP spokesman said today ( April 3 ).

While the peak season of HFMD and EV71 infections in Hong Kong usually comes between May and July, the spokesman said there are signs that the onset of the peak season may occur earlier this year.

"The number of institutional HFMD outbreaks during March 2009 was higher compared with the same month in the previous three years," the spokesman said.

Twelve EV71 cases have been recorded so far this year, which was higher than the corresponding periods during 2006-2008. The number of EV71 cases in 2006, 2007 and 2008 were 16, 12 and 98 respectively.

The spokesman said that the CHP had sent letters to child care centres, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools alerting them to the latest HFMD and EV71 infection situation and providing advice on prevention and control.

Upon notification of HFMD outbreaks in these institutions, the CHP will initiate prompt investigation and control measures to limit disease transmission, he said.

Certain scenarios may warrant temporary suspension of classes in an individual child institution. For example, this may include the occurrence of further cases in an institution attended by a confirmed EV71 case after stepping up control measures, or the occurrence of an EV71 case with severe complications associated with an HFMD outbreak in the institution.

Health talks will be arranged for schools, kindergartens and child care centres this month to update them on the HFMD and EV71 situation, and to brief them on outbreak management and prevention and control measures in schools.

"In addition, broadcast of TV and radio announcements will be intensified to increase public alertness.

"The 'EV SCAN', a weekly update on HFMD and EV71 infections will be published on the CHP website today to summarise the latest statistics of these diseases," the spokesman added.

As for schools with significant intake of cross-border students, school managements and transport contractors are reminded to conduct regular and thorough disinfection of school buses. These schools are also asked to remind parents of cross-border children not to send their children with HFMD symptoms to attend school.

The DH's Port Health Office is also distributing HFMD pamphlets at immigration control points.

Letters have been issued today to all doctors on the latest situation and management of HFMD and EV71 infection in Hong Kong so as to enhance case detection, clinical diagnosis and management, as well as dissemination of health advice.

To prevent HFMD and EV71 infection, members of the public are urged to stay vigilant and strictly observe personal and environmental hygiene. While in Hong Kong or during travel, they are advised to:

* Wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet and changing diapers;

* Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, and properly dispose of nasal and mouth discharges;

* Never share personal items such as towels and eating utensils;

* Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, furniture and toilets regularly with diluted bleach of 1:99 concentration ( one part household bleach to 99 parts water );

* Disinfect toys/places which are contaminated by secretions or excreta with diluted household bleach of 1:49 concentration;

* Maintain good ventilation;

* Parents should pay attention to the health of their children and seek medical advice if their children develop symptoms of HFMD, especially if the following occurs:
- Fever not subsided;
- Repeated vomiting;
- Persistent sleepiness or drowsiness;
- Myoclonic jerks

* Children suffering from HFMD should stay at home and avoid contact with other children until they are completely recovered;

* Parents should maintain close communication with schools to let them know the latest situation of the sick children.

More information on preventive measures against EV71 and HFMD can be found on the CHP website ( www.chp.gov.hk ).

 

[Shiloh]

Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5362MP20090407

Child disease outbreak kills 18 in China's Henan
Tue Apr 7, 2009 7:41am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Eighteen children from central China's Henan province have died in an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease that could claim more victims as its spreads in summer heat, state media reported on Tuesday.

The disease is a common childhood illness and rarely fatal, but it can cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters, and severe forms of the virus can be deadly if not properly treated.

Henan is a rural province crowded with poor farmers, and is the center of China's latest outbreak of the disease, which killed 40 children nationwide last year, spreading alarm among parents who accused officials of indifference and cover-ups.

The dead were among nearly 20,000 cases of the disease confirmed in Henan, including 5,965 in hospital, as of Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

A province official warned worse may come.

"As the weather warms, cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in Henan may rise further," a vice governor of Henan, Song Xuantao, told Xinhua. "The situation facing prevention and treatment is very grim."

In late March, Minquan County in Henan said one child there had died from the disease. But a report on state radio accused officials there of covering up the problem, including more deaths.

Now Minquan has confirmed 8 children there have died from hand, foot and mouth disease, the Xinhua report said. They were among the 18 dead reported by Henan.

Earlier this year, a 17-month-old boy died of the disease in Lixin county in neighboring Anhui province.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

 

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Re: China: HFMD cases

Re: China: HFMD cases

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/420788/1/.html

Toll in China disease outbreak rises to 31 children
Posted: 07 April 2009 1949 hrs

BEIJING: The death toll in China from a highly contagious disease which is especially dangerous for young children has risen to at least 31 so far this year, government and state media said Tuesday.

However, the figure includes only deaths of children in Henan province in the north and a single city in eastern Shandong province, suggesting the nationwide toll from hand, foot and mouth disease could be even higher.

State-run Xinhua news agency said that, as of Monday, 18 children had died in Henan, while the government of Heze city in Shandong said 13 had died in that city alone.

Health Minister Chen Zhu last week denied media reports that officials in Henan had tried to cover up the outbreak of the disease, which emerges early each year in China, by not reporting it to higher authorities.

The issue is a sensitive one after last year, when state media reported that foot-dragging by local officials had prevented the alarm being raised sooner.

The disease claimed an unusually high 128 lives in the first 11 months of last year.

There are numerous reports each year of Chinese local or provincial authorities covering up health and environmental threats to avoid being punished, sometimes exacerbating the problem.

Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease include fever and sores. It can be fatal in children because their immune systems are less developed than adults'.

- AFP/yb

 

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Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 31 in 2 provinces

Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 31 in 2 provinces

Source: http://www.china.org.cn/china/news/2009-04/08/content_17568057.htm

HFMD kills 18 children in Henan, 195 severely ill

Eighteen children have died in a hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak in central China's Henan Province as of Monday with another 195 in severe conditions, health authorities said Tuesday.

The dead were among the 19,922 cases reported in Henan, where 5,965 children have been hospitalized, said Zhou Yong, a spokesman for Henan Provincial Health Administration.

Zhu said a total of 4,244 children had been discharged from hospitals after treatment.

Among the 18 deaths, eight were reported in Minquan County, the worst-hit region in Henan.

Song Xuantao, vice governor of Henan, warned that more cases may be reported with the rising temperature.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

In the neighboring Shandong Province, one more death was reported in Heze City where the contagious disease has claimed 13 lives so far this year.

Heze have reported 4,783 cases as of Monday, when 228 new ones were reported in just one day.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2009)

 

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Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 31 in 2 provinces

Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 31 in 2 provinces

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/08/content_11151185.htm

East China province reports first hand-foot-mouth death
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-08 18:58:41

HANGZHOU, April 8 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province reported Wednesday its first death from hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) this year.

A child in Cixi, Ningbo city died Sunday hours after he was admitted to hospital, said Zhang Leming, head of the Ningbo Municipal Health Bureau, Wednesday.

The child developed symptoms of fever and rashes on his hands and feet last Friday and was sent to a community clinic on Sunday.

Because of his severe illness, he was moved to the Cixi Municipal No. 2 People's Hospital and retransferred to the Cixi Municipal People's Hospital.

The health bureau provided no details of the child.

Ningbo city had reported 367 cases of infections from the highly contagious disease as of April 5, said Zhang.

China's central Henan Province and neighboring Shandong Province have reported at least 31 deaths from the hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak so far this year.

According to the Ministry of Health, HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) were the most common.

HFMD usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet. Those with EV71 often show serious symptoms. It can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.

 

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Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 35 in 2 provinces

Re: China: 2009 HFMD cases; Toll rises to 35 in 2 provinces

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/09/content_11159556.htm

Hand-foot-mouth disease death toll rises to 17 in East China's Shandong Province
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-09 22:59:34

JINAN, April 9 (Xinhua) -- One more child has died of hand-foot-mouth disease on Wednesday in east China's Shandong Province, bringing the death toll in the province to 17, the local health authority said Thursday.

As of Wednesday, Heze City, the worst-hit area of Shandong has reported 5,155 cases of the disease, among which 3,614 have recovered, said the provincial health administration.

The administration did not provide further details about the latest victim.

All the 17 cities of the province have reported the disease. Heze has registered 14 deaths from the disease in the outbreak, Jining City registered two and Liaocheng one, since the first victim, a 20-month boy, died in Heze on March 22.

More than 80 experts have been sent to Heze to reinforce the medical service.

In central China's Henan Province, 18 children have died in the disease outbreak as of Monday with another 195 in severe conditions, said Henan Provincial Health Administration Tuesday.

East China's Zhejiang Province reported Wednesday its first death from the disease this year. A child in Cixi, Ningbo city died Sunday hours after he was admitted to hospital, according to Ningbo Municipal Health Bureau.

The disease, which is more common in summer and autumn, is not included in the routine reporting list of infectious diseases in China.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.