Nature, the reputed UK based science magazine posted the following editorial about virus threat in China, oh wait it is not just about H1N1 which is spreading fast world wide. It is not even the SARS that the magazine is reporting about, but "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disorder (HFMD)?. How dangerous this HFMD.........read further!Editorial
Nature 459, 751-752 (11 June 2009) | doi:10.1038/459751b; Published online 10 June 2009
Watch your back
If you are a health official facing two highly contagious diseases — one that is already killing dozens of people, and another that threatens to kill people by the thousands or millions, but hasn't yet done so — how do you allocate your resources? The answer can be a difficult balancing act, as the situation in China is showing
In 2008, more than 500,000 HFMD infections were reported in China, and 200 people died. This year, as the disease moves through its peak season, similar numbers look possible. There is currently no vaccine to prevent it and no drug to cure it. The best safeguard is good hygiene: HFMD transmission is mainly via saliva and faeces. But even Singapore, renowned for its cleanliness, has had 8,896 cases this year, and had had even more by this time last year. There have also been cases this year in Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
