Swimming classes have been suspended at a Tin Shui Wai primary school after 10 children came down with hand, foot and mouth disease. One of the 10 has enterovirus 71. The EV71 case at TWGHS Leo Tung-Hai Lee Primary School was confirmed yesterday by the Centre for Health Protection. The seven-year-old boy began to show symptoms on June 7, with a rash on his palms and mouth ulcers. The Primary Two pupil did not need hospital treatment and had since recovered, a spokesman for the centre said. None of his relatives showed symptoms. The case of EV71 is the 14th this year. Of these, one was caught abroad. Outbreaks of EV71 in Taiwan and Malaysia in 1998 and 1999 left more than 100 children dead. The outbreak at the school began on June 2. Nine of the 10 pupils are in the same class. None of the pupils developed complications and all have recovered. The 10 pupils were asked to stay at home for 14 days after recovering on the advice of the centre. It is not clear when they will return to school. Li Hon-kwong, the school's principal, said: 'We've suspended swimming classes. We have asked students to avoid physical contact and sharing food among themselves.' The school had stepped up hygiene measures following last year's Sars epidemic, Mr Li said. A spokesman for the Centre for Health Protection said it was essential that the public stayed alert to the threat of EV71 because this was the peak season for the disease. The centre recently ordered a nursery in Kwai Fong to contain an outbreak among its toddlers. The Po Leung Kuk Kwai Fong Nursery resumed classes on Monday. There were 60 EV71 cases in 1998, 22 in 1999, six in 2000, 30 in 2001, five in 2002 and one last year. Precautions to avoid catching EV71 include: Washing hands before eating and after going to the toilet or changing diapers; Covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; Keeping infected children at home; and Avoiding contact with other children until they have recovered.
