Hand, foot and mouth disease on rise in Beijing

BEIJING -- More than 6,700 people have been infected with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Beijing during the first half of 2018, Beijing Daily reported Wednesday.

As of June 30, a total of 6,732 cases had been reported, up 45.27 percent from the same period last year. Eight cases are in critical conditions, but no deaths have occurred, the paper cited sources with Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as reporting.

The CDC said that peak seasons for HFMD are July, August and November in Beijing. With temperatures rising and virus more active, it is expected that the number of reported cases will increase in early July.

In June alone, the city reported a total of 4,014 HFMD cases, an increase of 90 percent from a year ago.

There will be fewer HFMD cases after mid July as school vacation begins, said the CDC.

HFMD is a common infectious disease that usually affects infants and children younger than five years old. It can be transmitted through close contact with sweat, blood and coughing, among other ways.

HFMD symptoms include a painful or itchy rash, not only on the hands, feet and mouth, but also on the arms, legs and torso. The disease may leave scabs, and about 30 percent of children may have nails fall off after recovery.

Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the CDC, reminded parents of isolating their children or sending them to the hospital as soon as they show symptoms.