Analysis of Etiological Characteristics of Severe Hand-foot-mouth Disease in Huizhou from 2008 to 2011

Objective To explore the epidemiologic and etiological characteristics of severe hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) cases in Huizhou from 2008 to 2011,so as to provide basis for framing corresponding countermeasures.Methods 255 severe HFMD cases from HFMD designated hospitals in Huizhou from 2008 to 2011 were selected as research objects.Pharynx swab or archos swab specimens were collected within one week after HFMD onset and general enterovirus nucleic acid,specific nucleic acid for Coxsackievirus A16(CoxA16) and Enterovirus 71(EV71) were detected by RT-PCR.Results Enterovirus consensus primer was positive for 180 specimens,indicating a detection rate of 70.59%(180/255).Among the 180 specimens,144,6 and 30 specimens displayed positive EV71,CoxA16 and non-EV71,non-CoxA16 intestinal virus,accounting for 80.0%(144/180),3.33%(6/180) and 16.67%(30/180) respectively.Seventy-five cases showed non-enterovirus infection,accounting for 29.41%(75/255).Main severe HFMD patients were children below 5 years and those with positive EV71 were mainly children below 3 years,more boys than girls and more scattered living children.Conclusions EV71 is the superiority epidemiologic enterovirus strain for severe HFMD cases(accounting for 80%) in Huizhou from 2008 to 2011.The detection rates for CoxA16 and non-EV71,non-CoxA16 intestinal virus are 3.33% and 16.67% respectively.RT-PCR can be used for fast diagnosis of severe HFMD cases.Conducting pathogenic detection on children with HFMD below 5 years,screening for severe cases and treating them as soon as possible play key roles in HFMD prevention and control.