VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGZ #0265/01 1300920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD8EB353 MSI5410-695)
R 090920Z MAY 08
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7145
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCNARFC/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//USDP/ISA/AP//
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC//J2/J3/J5//
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J00/J2/J3/J5//
RHEFAFM/DIRAFMIC FT DETRICK MD//MA-1A//

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 000265 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDED CDC ATLANTA GA 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/IHA, MED, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR ANE AND GH 
CDC FOR OGHA AND DIV-FLU 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP 
HHS PASS TO FIC/NIH 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS (OSTA AND OCRA), FSIS 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID 
BEIJING FOR HHS HEALTH ATTACHE AND RMO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CASC SOCI PREL HHS CH
SUBJECT: Enterovirus 71 Outbreak - South China Infections and Death 
Toll Increasing 
 
REF: A) Beijing 1765, B) Guangzhou 250, C) Beijing 1726 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has taken a 
fourth life in Guangdong Province, and has infected more than 7,100 
local children.  Provincial health officials are working to 
determine the incidence rate of EV 71 among HFMD cases.  Guangxi has 
reported two deaths among 636 cases of the disease.  Hainan has also 
reported two deaths, while the number of infections there has 
reached 180.  Fujian has not reported any deaths and the number of 
cases remains unchanged at 503.  End summary. 
 
Guangdong Infections Passes 7,000 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Guangdong Province reported a fourth infant death on May 8, 
and health officials are conducting an autopsy in one suspected HFMD 
death case.  The new fatality occurred on May 5 after an 8-month old 
girl was admitted to Dashi Hospital in the Panyu District of 
Guangzhou.  A feces screening test showed positive results for 
Enterovirus 71 (EV 71), and was subsequently confirmed by the HFMD 
expert team (ref B).  A suspected case was reported in Dongguan, 
where a 19-month-old boy died on May 6, but the cause of death has 
not yet been confirmed.  As of May 8, the number of HFMD cases in 
Guangdong had reached 7,103, including 34 confirmed cases caused by 
the EV 71 strain. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to He Jianfeng, Deputy Director General of the 
Epidemic Disease Prevention Institute of Guangdong CDC, the province 
is currently working to determine the percentage of cases linked to 
EV 71, but difficulties with replenishing testing reagents, lack of 
proper staff training, and a one-day delay for test results on 
suspected EV 71 samples have been challenging the government's 
efforts.  Guangdong Department of Health designated three hospitals 
-- the Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital, Pearl River 
(Zhujiang) Hospital, and Guangzhou Children's Hospital -- to receive 
HFMD patients transferred from other hospitals without ICU 
facilities. 
 
Guangxi Death Toll Reaches Two 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Guangxi authorities reported one new death on May 8, 
increasing the total number of fatalities to two.  The second death 
occurred near Liuzhou city on May 6, after the child fell ill on May 
¶3.  The other victim came from Yulin, and Guangxi health officials 
have responded by sending taskforces to both areas where deaths 
occurred.  The number of reported HFMD cases reached 636 on May 8. 
Health Department Spokesman Chen Faqin said the increase in cases 
from May 6 was due to better surveillance by health authorities 
since new reporting requirements were implemented on May 2, as well 
as a backlog of cases now being reported that were originally 
detected on or before May 2.  Guangxi's CDC Director told media that 
EV 71 has been confirmed in 9 cases and described all HFMD cases so 
far as sporadic, rather than part of an outbreak. 
 
Hainan Province Also Reports Two Deaths 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Hainan Province reported two deaths among a total of 180 
cases, as of May 7.  Five cases have been confirmed as EV 71, 
including the two deaths.  Hainan health authorities activated a 
comprehensive daily reporting system that will inform medical 
personnel at each level of new cases. 
 
Fujian Province - No Fatalities 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Fujian reported 503 cases of HFMD on May 4 with no new 
reports since then.  Among the sick, 35 patients have been 
hospitalized, with no reports of fatalities. 
 
¶7. (U) Beijing Embassy ESTH has cleared this cable. 
 
GOLDBERG