Three more deaths including one in Beijing caused by the hand, foot and mouth disease were reported by the health officials in China. Nearly 27,000 Chinese children’s are apparently infected by this disease.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) have so far claimed 42 lives in china alone this year. Fuyang in the eastern province of Anhui was the worst effected with 23 deaths and more than five thousand cases detected.

Even after the health minister statement this week about the epidemic being under control and WHO being satisfied with the progress china is making to quarantine the infection, there are still cases of child deaths being reported.

In the year 2007 china had reported 80,000 cases of the hand, foot and mouth disease, with 17 deaths.

One of the major contributory agents Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is responsible for spreading hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). This agent is also sometimes associated with severe central nervous system diseases.

Healthy adults can resist the disease; however infants and children’s are more prone to the virus and in certain cases life threatening. There are no vaccines available and severe cases cannot be treated resulting in paralysis or even death.