About ENTERO VIRUS 71
Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Date: 2012-07-31
Enterovirus 71, or EV71, causes hand, foot and mouth disease, or HFMD, among children under ten years old. HFMD is a common and usually mild childhood disease; however, HFMD caused by EV71 has shown a higher incidence of neurologic involvement, and a higher acute fatal incidence. Since 1997, the number of outbreaks of HFMD caused by EV71 has increased across the Asia-Pacific region including in China, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, and recently in Cambodia. According to the data published on China’s Ministry of Health website, over 1.7 million cases were reported in 2011 across China, with over 880 reported fatalities. No identified treatment for enterovirus infections exists and no commercialized vaccine is currently available worldwide.