The Administration of Disease Prevention and Control in eastern China's Anhui Province issued a statement on Saturday, denying that immune globulin has any effect in resisting hand-foot-mouth disease.

The statement came in response to a rumor circulating through the province that immune globulin and some pneumonia bacteria can prevent hand-foot-mouth disease, HFMD. The disease has infected more than 27,000 in China causing 34 fatalities, Xinhua News Agency reports.

The administration says there is no proven vaccination for preventing the disease that has mainly been caused by the EV 71 intestinal virus in Anhui province, one of the hardest hit areas in the country.

The government urged citizens to avoid infection through good hygiene including washing hands frequently, eating cooked food, maintaining ventilation and sanitizing clothing.

The government also promised a crackdown on vendors commercially advertising immune globulin as a HFMD preventative.

HFMD can be caused by up to 20 different types of viruses including EV 71, Coxsackie A16 and Echo virus. The viruses have similar symptoms including slight fever and a rash on the hands and feet. Most of the cases involve young children under the age of six.

(CRIENGLISH.com May 12, 2008)