Survey of a hand foot and mouth disease outbreak in primary school in Naqu, Tibet

Since 13 September 2009, the cases with the clinical symptoms of oral and hand herpes had been reported in a primary school in Shuanghu special administration area in Naqu prefecture in Tibet. The infection source was unknown. The major transmission route was person to person contact, but respiratory transmission could be excluded. The disease course was 12 days and the duration of the epidemic was 20 days. Totally 131 cases were reported. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 18 years old. Eleven cases occurred in children aged 2-6 years (8.40%) and 120 cases in children/adolescents aged 7-18 years (91.60%). PCR detection indicated that throat swabs, stool samples and herpes fluid samples collected from 4 cases were enterovirus 71 positive. The remaining cases were clinically diagnosed. No severe case and death occurred. Except 10 cases receiving intravenous transfusion treatment, the other cases were treated with oral antiviral drug plus vitamin C. By comprehensive prevention and control, the epidemic was effectively controlled.