An 11-month-old child has died of hand-foot-mouth disease, bringing to three the number of young children who have succumbed to the disease in the east China, the Shandong provincial health department said on Thursday.

The baby boy was admitted to hospital in Linyi City early on Monday after developing symptoms of fever and a rash with blisters, said Bao Wenhui, deputy director of the department.

"His condition was stable on Monday, but suddenly worsened in the early hours on Tuesday," said Bao.

The boy's heart stopped beating around 2:20 AM Tuesday, said Bao.

A 14-month-old boy and a two-year-old girl have also died of the disease in Linyi city since late April.

The city has reported 1,263 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease since April, 872 of whom have recovered, according to Bao.

As of Wednesday, 188 hand-foot-mouth patients were receiving treatment in hospitals in Linyi.

The deputy director said the outbreak in Linyi appears to be lessening as the number of new patients reported each day has dropped from more than 100 to about 60.

The provincial health authorities have dispatched experts from Jinan and Beijing to help treat the sick children and direct prevention work.

Children in nurseries, kindergartens and schools in the city are receiving checkups.

Shandong recorded 2,477 cases of hand-food-mouth disease in 2005, including one death, and 3,030 cases in 2006, two of which were fatal.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show China has reported 5,459 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease by Monday, up 119.41 percent year-on-year.

In a circular issued Thursday, the ministry told local authorities to improve monitoring in nurseries, kindergartens and schools, and step up preventative measures.

The ministry also required local authorities to improve food supervision and sanitation in public places to prevent the disease from spreading.

Nurseries, kindergartens and schools should report to local disease control and prevention center and educational authorities within 24 hours of discovering the disease.

The ministry also required schools in the region, where hand-foot-mouth disease cases were reported, to check their students every morning so that new cases can be found on time.

Nurseries and kindergartens were also asked to disinfect toys and other facilities daily.

Doctors say that one of the most effective prevention methods is frequent hand washing.

The disease, which is more common in summer and autumn, is not included in the routine reporting list of infectious diseases in China.

The ministry said it is encouraging medical institutions to report the disease to health authorities.

Hand-foot-mouth disease, also known as coxsackievirus infection, is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It often begins with a sore throat. Moderately contagious, the disease can be transmitted through nose and throat discharges. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2007)