Hand, foot and mouth disease is spreading in China, with the number of cases reported in March doubling that of February, a senior disease control official said on Monday."The incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease this year is expected to be worse than last year," said Mao Qun'an, the National Health Commission's director of disease control and prevention."More than 28,000 cases of the infectious disease were reported in March, twice the number found in February," he said. "And it has been rising, which means the disease is entering peak season."The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral infection among children. Its symptoms include fever, oral ulcers and skin rashes on the feet and hands. Complications can seriously threaten the health of children under 5 and in rare cases can be deadly.People can become infected through being in close contact with an infected person's excrement, including feces and saliva, or daily items such as a towel, toys and feeding bottles. Incidence usually peaks in spring and summer."Since 2010, the number of cases per year on average has hit 2.06 million and it's ranked among the top five infectious diseases that can cause death," Mao said. "Considering that most deaths and severe cases resulted from infection of Enterovirus 71, known as EV71, we urge local governments to expand vaccinations to protect people."According to the Chinese CDC, the vaccine that can stop EV71, which was developed by China, entered the market in 2016 and is the only effective one available on the global market. In China, payment for the vaccine is shouldered by individuals. It can effectively prevent EV71-related infections.However, Zhang Jing, a researcher at the CDC, said the vaccination rate in China was not high.Vaccination rates in some areas are only 10 percent, but even a vaccination rate above 50 percent can't stop the virus from spreading, she said.To prevent and control the disease, Mao called for cooperation between local health departments and education organizations."Schools should be aware of their students' health conditions," he said. "They should check students every morning and report cases to health authorities immediately.""Children should avoid crowded places during the peak period," Mao said. "If they come down with symptoms, they should stay quarantined at home." silicone wristbands onlineprinted wristbandpersonalized rubber braceletsembossed printed wristbandcustom made bracelets uk
TAIPEI - More than 10,000 villagers had to be evacuated after an explosion rocked a chemical plant in an industrial zone in Mailiao township, Yunlin county in central-southern Taiwan Sunday afternoon.The explosion at an aromatics plant of Formosa Chemical and Fiber Corp at about 2 pm shattered glass in nearby buildings and shook houses kilometers away, local police and fire fighters said.Though there have been no immediate reports of human death or injuries, authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 10,000 villagers of five nearby villages due to gas leak after the explosion.Footage posted online by witnesses showed dense plume of black smoke billowing into the sky, and loud explosions were heard far from the chemical plant.The explosion was very powerful as it was heard across the county, Cai Chang-kun, head of Mailiao township, told the press after the blast, adding he had demanded the chemical plant suspend operation and investigate the cause of the accident.Fire fighters and police arrived at the scene about 20 minutes after receiving an explosion report. Preliminary investigations show a gas leak due to a fracture in a liquefied natural gas pipeline could have led to the explosion, according to local TV reports.Zhang Li-shan, magistrate of Yunlin county, said she has instructed a special team to look into the accident and strengthen the monitoring of air pollution to decide whether the black fume would cause damage to humans.The chemical plant was handed a preliminary fine of NT$5 million (about $162,000) over the violation of air pollution regulations by the county government.
