Surveillance of hand foot mouth disease in Hongqiao district, Tianjin, 2008

ObjectiveTo find out the epidemiological features of hand foot mouth disease (HFMD) in Hongqiao district and develop control and prevention measure. MethodsThe surveillance of HFMD was conducted through National Diseases Reporting Information System and epidemiological case survey was performed to all cases. ResultsHFMD was one of the communicable diseases with high incidence in preschool aged children in Hongqiao district, which mainly affected the kindergarten children and scattered children. The incidence rate of HFMD in children aged 1-4 years was 648.42/lakh. The incidence peak was observed in July, and the incidence rate in Shuanghuan street was highest. The factors associated with HFMD included poor personal hygiene (sucking fingers, non-disinfection of pacifiers or toys, parents didn't wash hands before touching children), poor implementation of disinfection measure in kindergarten. ConclusionThe incidence of HFMD varied by age, population and seasons. Conducting study on epidemiological features of HFMD is favorable to the development of effective control and prevention measures.