Molecular Epidemiology of Enteroviruses Associated with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in the Mainland of China

Hand,foot,and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common contagious illness which occurs worldwide both sporadically and in epidemics.The disease mainly affects children and the typical symptoms,which may resolve spontaneously,include mucocutaneous papulovesicular lesions on the hands,feet,mouth,and buttocks.In rare cases,however,the patients may also develop neurological complications such as neurogenic pulmonary edema,aseptic meningitis,and acute flaccid paralysis[1].The most common etiological agents of HFMD are human enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus