Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) has killed 24 children in China and infected more than 4,500 children in central Anhui province. Besides the 24 deaths, 1115 people are in hospital, 42 of them in a serious or critical condition.
EV-71 is a neurological disease, a virus which can also cause hand, foot and mouth disease which is more common in children from 2 – 5 years of age. EV-71 symptoms usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters or ulcers in the mouth and on the hands and feet.
It is usually spread by respiratory droplets, through contact with the fluid in the blisters or contact with infected faeces. There is no proven treatment for this virus and treatment usually focuses on the person’s symptoms.
The outbreak of EV-71 is another concern for the Government as it prepares for the Olympic Games.
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