A large-scale outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease, France, as at 28 September 2021
Audrey Mirand, Robert Cohen, Maxime Bisseux, Stéphanie Tomba, Fabienne Cahn Sellem, Nathalie Gelbert, Stéphane Béchet, Bruno Frandji, Christine Archimbaud, Amélie Brebion, Hélène Chabrolles, Christel Regagnon, Corinne Lévy, Jean‐Luc Bailly, Cécile Henquell
Abstract
We report a large-scale outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in France. As at 28 September 2021, 3,403 cases have been reported (47% higher than in 2018-19). We prospectively analysed 210 clinical samples; 190 (90.5%) were enterovirus-positive. Most children presented with atypical HFMD. Coxsackievirus (CV)A6 (49.5%; 94/190) was predominant; no enterovirus A71 was detected. Dermatological and neurological complications of HFMD justify prospective syndromic and virological surveillance for early detection of HFMD outbreaks and identification of associated types.