China's hand-foot-mouth infections rise to 22,240

In addition to mainland China, Macao has reported 90 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease. Vietnam has had 3,000 cases and 10 deaths. Hong Kong has has 10 cases with no deaths.

This is a difficult disease to control and its spread around Asian countries emphasizes that.

With international air travel, it may be a disease coming your way.

China has reported 22,240 hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) cases so far this year by Thursday, resulting in 30 deaths, according to a Xinhua tally of local official figures.

The figure stood at 19,962 on Wednesday, Xinhua found.

Anhui Province in east China saw an increase of 738 HFMD cases on Tuesday, driving the total infections up to 7,283, with no new death report in the past week, according to the provincial health bureau.

A total of 3,780 patients have recovered and 2,218 others are still receiving treatment in hospitals there.

The worst-hit Fuyang City has registered 5,513 infections so far, including 1,340 being hospitalized. Doctors said ten of the patients are seriously sickened and three others in critical situation.

The municipal government has earmarked nearly 50 million yuan (7.1 million U.S. dollars) in medical cost reimbursement and disease prevention and control.

Meanwhile, a virus lab has been put into initial operation in the city recently for research of EV71, a virus that can cause a severe form of the disease, according to the municipal center for disease control and prevention.

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