Following the outbreak of enterovirus 71 or EV-71, which is a kind of hand, foot and mouth disease children are susceptible to, the health ministry in China has announced to take up a more serious approach in order to curtail its spreading. It has already caused the death of some 22 children. This EV-71 is now posing as another major hurdle for China, whose image has already got blotched due to the Tibetan uprising as it prepares to host the Beijing Olympics coming August.

 

A declaration posted on the Chinese health ministry’s website said that alerting the health bureaus and hospitals to take more caution was pertinent in order to keep the EV-17 from spreading and that this in turn will ensure a smooth hosting of the Beijing Olympics in August as well as social stability. What actually made the Chinese government to sit up and take notice was the unusual rise of the number of enterovirus cases in Fuyang, a fast-growing city set in the rural heartland of central China.

 

About 3,736 enterovirus cases were reported in Fuyang till Saturday 3 May, which was an increase of 415 in just a day’s time. Health officials informed that apart from the 22 deaths, 1,115 people have been hospitalized. The health department of Anhui Province, where Fuyang is situated pointed out that of these, 42 patients are in a serious condition. Since there is no vaccine or precise treatment known for this disease, the health officials have suggested better hygiene, with more frequent hand-washing and disinfecting areas.