Occurrence pattern ; Children ; Hand-foot-mouth disease ; Enterovirus
Abstract
Purpose: This study was aimed to know recent epidemiological features of hand, foot, mouth
disease (HFM) in children.
Methods: I collected the epidemiological data of HFM patients retrospectively who had been
diagnosed at the Department of Pediatrics and emergency room, Yongin Severance Hospital,
Yongin, Korea from January 2013 to December 2018. I investigated and compared their features
by year and month.
Results: There were 389 cases of HFM for 6 years. Their mean age was 2.4±2.1 years old and
the male to female ratio was 1.4:1. The peak age was 1 year old and almost all of them (91.3%)
were under 6 years old. Summer was the most prevalent season (58.0%). It increased from 76
cases in 2013 to 94 cases in 2014, but decreased to 31 cases in 2015. It surged to 89 cases in
2016 and dived to 39 cases in 2018. The annual and total monthly ages were not significantly
different among them. Male was more frequent than female for all years except in 2013. The
annual male to female ratio in 2013 (0.9:1) was significantly different from that in 2015 (2.9:1,
P =0.016) and 2016 (1.8:1, P =0.047). The total monthly sex ratio on November (0.4:1) was significantly
different from that on June (1.5:1, P =0.035) to December (4.5:1, P =0.009). The most
frequent month of year was June in 2013 and in 2014. It changed to September in 2015, moved
to July in 2016, then to August in 2017 and 2018.
Conclusion: It occurred every year and showed an cyclic outbreak pattern. It was usually
found under 6 years old. Its recent epidemiological characteristics such as peak month and sex
ratio were changed by year or month. So continuous monitoring for its occurrence and further
clinical investigation should be carried on.