New disease outbreaks in China; 15,000 children infected

There is no vaccine or specific treatment, but most children affected by mild forms of the disease typically recover quickly without problems.

Vietnam has recorded some 2,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in the first four months of this year, said Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine. Between 10 and 20 percent were caused by EV71.

Ten fatalities caused by the virus have been reported in the first four months, he said.

The number of cases represents an increase of 40 percent against the same period of last year, he said.

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Associated Press Medical Writer Margie Mason in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this story.