Girl dies from hand-foot-mouth disease

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-05-12 21:14

JINAN - A two-year-old girl has died from an outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease in Linyi city, east China's Shandong Province, and 106 children are receiving treatment for the disease in hospitals around the city.

The girl was taken to hospital to see a doctor after developing symptoms of fever and vomiting on April 27. Two days later, she was hospitalized after her condition worsened. Doctors confirmed she had contracted hand-foot-mouth disease but were too late to save her life, said a local government spokesman.

The spokesman also said that there had been "some cases" of the disease since the beginning of the year, without providing specific figures.

After the girl had died, the city's health bureau carried out epidemiology research across the city, quarantining those infected by the disease and informing kindergartens and schools.

The 106 hospitalized children are in stable conditions, according to the local government spokesman.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness whose symptoms include mouth ulcers, sores, fever and skin rash. It is highly contagious and can be transmitted through saliva, air or skin contact. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.



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