WHO: deadly child virus in China not a threat to Olympics
BEIJING (AP) — A highly infectious virus that has killed 25 children in China is unlikely to be a threat to the Beijing Olympics, although it is too early to tell whether it has peaked, the World Health Organization said Sunday.
The death toll from the virus, which mostly sickens children, rose to 25 Sunday as a new death was reported in the southern province of Guangdong, despite heightened efforts by China's Health Ministry to contain it.
More than 620 new cases of viral infections have been reported in central China, raising the number of people sickened to 5,151, state media said.
The outbreak of enterovirus 71 — which causes a severe type of hand, foot and mouth disease — is another headache for the Communist government as it prepares for the Olympic Games, already tarnished by unrest among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests.
"I don't see it at all as a threat to the Olympics or any upcoming events ... This is a disease mainly affecting young children," WHO China representative Hans Troedsson told a news conference.
Troedsson said the virus normally peaks in June and July, meaning there could still be an increase in infections as the weather warms. The disease thrives in hot climates, and Asia has seen increased occurrences, including in Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan, he said.
The 622 new cases of enterovirus 71 were all in Anhui province, with 362 in the hardest-hit city of Fuyang, the official Xinhua News Agency said late Monday.
China's Health Ministry issued a nationwide alert over the weekend after the virus, also known as EV-71, infected more than 4,500 children in central Anhui province resulting in 22 deaths.
The most recent reported death occurred about 1,000 miles to the south in Guangdong province.
"What we have seen so far is no connection between or among these different outbreaks," Troedsson said.
The first deaths in Anhui occurred in late March, but the public were not told until April 15, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV.
Troedsson said the delay was due to difficulties diagnosing the causes of the deaths, as they did not show the normal symptoms. WHO was told within 24 hours of the correct diagnosis, he said.
Suspicion continues to surround the Chinese government's handling of disease outbreaks following allegations of a cover-up during the 2003 emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which originated in southern China and eventually killed nearly 800 people worldwide.
Hand, foot and mouth viruses cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters and are easily spread by sneezing or coughing. The viruses mainly strike children aged 10 and younger. Some cases can lead to fatal brain swelling.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment, but most children affected by the disease typically recover quickly without problems.
However, EV-71 can result in a more serious form of the illness that can lead to paralysis, brain swelling or death. Many of the severe cases in China did not exhibit typical symptoms, and the children eventually died from respiratory problems, which kept Chinese experts puzzled about the cause of the outbreak, Troedsson said.
The disease, which is not related to foot and mouth disease that affects livestock, is endemic across Asia and many countries experience annual flare-ups.
Associated Press Medical Writer Margie Mason contributed to this story
