Epidemiology of hand foot and mouth disease in Henan province,2009

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Henan. Methods The data of HFMD cases in Henan from 1 January to 31 December 2009 were collected from national diseases reporting information system to conduct descriptive analysis. Results A total of 101 530 HFMD cases were reported with the incidence of 107.68/lakh. The number of severe cases was 3932 and death number was 46. The reported incidence in Zhengzhou was highest. The cases mainly occurred during April-June, Most cases were the children aged 0-3 years old who were not enrolled in child care settings. The infections were mainly caused by EV71 and other enterovirus, but the severe cases and deaths were caused by EV71. Conclusion HFMD is still one of the serious health hazards to children under 5 years old in Henan province.