Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) A child stricken with the intestinal virus identified as enterovirus 71 rests at a hospital in Fuyang, central China's Anhui province, on Sunday. Associated Press  (click to enlarge) A child stricken with an intestinal virus identified as enterovirus 71 rests at a hospital in Fuyang, China, on Sunday.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Monday, May 5, 2008 Virus kills 24 Chinese children, may not have peaked By Henry Sanderson Associated Press BEIJING -- A highly infectious virus that has killed 24 children in China is unlikely to be a threat to the Beijing Olympics, although it is too early to tell whether it has peaked, the World Health Organization said Sunday. The death toll from the virus, which mostly sickens children, rose to 24 Sunday as two more deaths were reported in a new province amid heightened efforts by China's Health Ministry to contain it. The outbreak of enterovirus 71, which causes a severe type of hand, foot and mouth disease, is another headache for the communist government as it prepares for the Olympic Games, already tarnished by unrest among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests. "I don't see it at all as a threat to the Olympics or any upcoming events. This is a disease mainly affecting young children," WHO China representative Hans Troedsson told a news conference. Troedsson said the virus normally peaks in June and July, meaning there could still be an increase in infections as the weather warms. The disease thrives in hot climates, and Asia has seen increased occurrences, including in Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan, he said. China's Health Ministry issued a nationwide alert over the weekend after the virus, also known as EV-71, infected more than 4,500 children in central Anhui province resulting in 22 deaths. The two most recent reported deaths occurred about 1,000 miles to the south in Guangdong province. The first deaths in Anhui occurred in late March, but the public were not told until April 15, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV. Troedsson blamed the delay on difficulties diagnosing the causes of the deaths, as they did not show the normal symptoms. WHO was told within 24 hours of the correct diagnosis, he said. Suspicion continues to surround the Chinese government's handling of disease outbreaks following allegations of a cover-up during the 2003 emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which originated in southern China and eventually killed nearly 800 people worldwide. As of early Saturday, 3,736 cases of EV-71 were reported in Fuyang's rural outskirts, health officials said. Some 1,115 people remained hospitalized, 42 in serious or critical condition, said the health department of Anhui province. Hand, foot and mouth viruses cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters and are easily spread by sneezing or coughing. The viruses mainly strike children aged 10 and younger. Some cases can lead to fatal brain swelling. There is no vaccine or specific treatment, but most children affected by the disease typically recover quickly without problems. Many of the severe cases in China did not exhibit typical symptoms, and the children eventually died from respiratory problems, which kept Chinese experts puzzled about the cause of the outbreak, Troedsson said.

1. Teen burglar can't run forever, police say 2. Marysville teen to race as Olympian for the Marshall Islands 3. Suspect calls ambush an order 4. Local Briefly: Police searching for elderly missing man 5. Missing 94-year-old Stanwood man found 6. New branch campus in Snohomish County doesn't appear in UW's plans 7. Baseball fever hits Mill Creek 8. Drop in driving cuts into state's funds for road projects 9. Smart micro car turns heads, saves bread 10. Everett Transit restores south city route 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Senior housing on way to Lynnwood • Something for everyone • 'Dog'-gone unusual • Ex-employee, blog author sues school district • Everything's coming up Shakespeare • School district budget shows improvement • Christopher's way • 57 years and ticking, washing, drying • Agreement nets Ballinger group $200K • Arlington Fly-In marks 40th anniversary this year • Melody Biringer a wide-ranging entrepreneur • County home market offers low rates, lower prices, wide variety of prope ... • Good investments may be boring but profitable • Fryelands industrial park growing in Monroe • Out of the Blue Aviation expands flight training • Paul Allen’s rare Flying Heritage Collection becomes latest aviation att ... • Warbird's history keeper