Ms Zhao is having a stressful day. Her baby is sick and the outbreak of a virus has killed dozens of children across China. SOUNDBITE: (MANDARIN WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION) MS ZHAO, MOTHER OF A FOUR-MONTH-OLD BOY, SAYING: "I am really worried. My child is so little, only four months old. As for prevention, we try not to go to places with large crowds, and since I am breast-feeding, I try not to eat out." Hand, foot and mouth disease only affects children and infants. The deaths mostly linked with a virus known as EV71, which can cause high fever, paralysis and meningitis. But the good news is health experts say this disease is of a familiar strain - unlike SARS which crippled the nation a few years ago. The World Health Organisations Hans Troedsson: SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) HANS TROEDSSON, WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CHINA REPRESENTATIVE, SAYING: "If the CDC (Chinas Disease Control centre) authorities give the advice - shut down the kindergarten, that is what we should do. What we would do in our clinic is set aside areas. If a child comes in with a rash in their hand or mouth, we will put him in another waiting room away from other children." Chinese health authorities are telling the public not to panic. But the virus has rapidly spread to several provinces. In Beijing, Im Kitty Bu, reporting for Reuters.
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Added: May 7, 2008 |
| Category: News |
Author: reuters |
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