Chinese authorities again accused of concealing outbreak of deadly virus

May 1 2008

As the number of people in China affected by a deadly intestinal virus continues to rise, Chinese authorities have been accused of trying conceal the outbreak.

To date 20 children have died and almost 2000 have become ill from the virus, Enterovirus 71, since it first appeared in Fuyang, a city in Anhui province in eastern China, in early March.

In the last two days another 700 children have been stricken and taken to hospital with fever, ulcers in the mouth, or a rash on their hands and feet - the virus mainly affects children under the age of 10.

Currently hundreds of children remain hospitalised some of whom are seriously ill - all the affected were aged below six, with most under two years.

The outbreak was only reported this week, 40 days after it first began,which has led to accusations by the Chinese press of a cover-up by local authorities.

Though an official investigation into the cause of the outbreak has been launched and a team of medical experts has been sent to Fuyang city to help prevent and contain the infection, the virus continues to spread unabated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is concerned about the number of deaths in the current outbreak - particularly as EV71 has been reported in China before.

China has come in for harsh criticism before with regard to the reporting infectious diseases, especially over the handling of the SARS epidemic in 2003 and questions are repeatedly being asked about China's transparency when it comes to disease outbreaks.

The SARS epidemic resulted in the sacking of the health minister and a pledge to create an "open and transparent" reporting scheme.

According to the WHO, enteroviruses spread mostly through contact with infected blisters or faeces; there is no vaccine or antiviral drugs for EV71 and treatment focuses on managing its complications, including meningitis and heart failure.