Evaluating the transmission routes of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Guangdong, China

Limei Sun; Hualiang Lin; Jinyan Lin; Jianfeng He; Aiping Deng; Min Kang; Hanri Zeng; Wenjun Ma; Yonghui Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2015.04.202

Evaluating the transmission routes of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Guangdong, China

Am J Infect Control. 2016 Feb;44(2):e13-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.04.202.

Authors

Limei Sun¹, Hualiang Lin², Jinyan Lin¹, Jianfeng He¹, Aiping Deng¹, Min Kang¹, Hanri Zeng¹, Wenjun Ma¹, Yonghui Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.
³ Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: zyh@cdcp.org.cn.

PMID: 26803935
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.04.202

Abstract

Although it is an enteroviral infectious disease, recent studies suggest that respiratory transmission might play a role in the transmission of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). We evaluated the transmission modes (respiratory and fecal-oral transmission) of HFMD among children using a case-control study in Guangdong, China. Our analyses suggested that fecal-oral transmission might be the principal transmission mode of HFMD among children in the study area, and handwashing habits of the children and their parents should be emphasized to control this infection.

Keywords: Case-control study; China; Hand, foot, and mouth disease; Handwashing; Transmission.

MeSH terms

Case-Control Studies
Child, Preschool
China / epidemiology
Enterovirus / physiology*
Feces / virology
Female
Hand Disinfection
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / epidemiology
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / transmission*
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / virology
Humans
Infant
Infection Control*
Male
Mouth / virology