With the upcoming Olympics, China is in the spotlight. The Chinese Health Ministry, scrambling to fend off cover-up allegations, issued a nationwide alert Saturday over a virus that has killed 24 children and sickened more than 4,000 others.
In milder cases, EV71 can cause cold like symptoms, diarrhea and sores on the hands, feet and mouth. But more severe cases can cause fluid to accumulate on the brain, resulting in polio-like paralysis and death (the journal Genetic Vaccines and Therapy). Public health officials expect the number of cases to peak in June or July. There is no effective antiviral treatment for severe EV71 infections, and no vaccine is available. This disease also has broken out in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam, although no deaths have been reported there.
The viruses mainly strike children aged 10 and younger and is easily spread by sneezing or coughing. A public awareness campaign is ongoing, stressing the need for good personal hygiene, mostly by hand washing.
Sources: CNN and Los Angeles Times
"New outbreaks in China reported Wednesday put the number of children infected with hand, foot and mouth disease above 15,000 and the death toll has risen to at least 28 across the country." Read more about EV-71 in China here.
we should just hold the olympics some were else in order to not endanger any of the competitors and fans
DANG YO!!! Killed 24 children and more of them are sick... That really sucks...
U Kno Wat Im Sayin!!!
The WHO says that, although the number of child deaths in China associated with hand foot and mouth disease and EV-71 is unusually high, and there have been an unusually high number of cases, doctors and epidemiologists are seeing no signs of a new or especially virulent strain.
There are, however, questions about why so many cases are popping up in Fuyang, and why people are showing unusual symptoms that make the disease hard to diagnose.
More on hand foot and mouth disease
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease is VERY common in most daycare settings. It is easily spread, but not usually serious. A fever and some sores are the common symptoms. For little ones the mouth sores are the worst because it hurts to eat. My daughter had it as an infant and it was just one of those many things she got from day care (and she was in an in-home day care with only 2 other babies!). It SOUNDS worse then it really is.
So far, 42 children have died. The virus has sickened 24,934 children on the Chinese mainland, authorities said. Read more at CNN
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