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March 22, 2014

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2 children die of hand, foot and mouth disease

TWO children at a Jinshan District care center blacklisted over hygiene issues died of highly contagious hand, foot and mouth disease this week.

Deng Haoxuan, aged 2, the son of the Aimiao Care Center’s head, died of the viral infection on Tuesday, the Jinshan District Health and Family Planning Commission said yesterday.

And 4-year-old Zhao Hongyun also died of hand, foot and mouth two days later.

Care centers are kindergarten-like facilities mainly used by children of migrant workers.

The Aimiao center had been on a local education authority blacklist for having no regular disinfection program and no health license. In December, it was advised to close until renovations took place.

The center has now been shut for complete disinfection.

All 158 children attending have been screened. Eight with coughs and fever were taken to hospital for further checks.

Five have since been discharged and all the children are said to be in stable condition.

Children in close contact with the two who died have been placed under observation, the commission said.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is highly contagious and particularly affects children under 5. It can spread through sneeze or cough droplets and fecal matter. The peak season in Shanghai is from April to July.

Those infected may have cold-like symptoms, such as loss of appetite, cough and a fever.

A non-itchy red rash, made up of spots or small fluid-filled sacs, usually develops on the hands and feet and other symptoms include mouth ulcers.

While hand, foot and mouth patients usually get better in a few days without treatment, in some cases it can affect the nervous system, respiratory system and circulation.

If it develops into inflammation of the brain or heart the virus can prove fatal.

Sick that night

Deng Haoxuan, whose family come from neighboring Anhui Province, was taken to Jinshan Hospital on Monday evening, having had a temperature for two days, according to xinmin.cn.

Dr Wang Jianshe, director of the hospital’s pediatrics department, said he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection and went home after being given an intravenous drip.

But after he was sick that night the little boy’s parents took him back to the hospital the next day. Doctors once more gave an intravenous drip. The toddler’s temperature rose and he developed breathing difficulties, dying just before 4pm.

Zhao Hongyun, whose family are from the southwestern Sichuan Province, was taken to the same hospital on Wednesday, having had a fever and cough for three days. Doctors administered a drip and sent her home.

But the little girl’s condition deteriorated and she was found to have Enterovirus 71 — a major virus causing hand, foot and mouth disease.

She died shortly after 8pm, during transfer to the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University.


 




 

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