All 20 deaths occurred in the city of Fuyang in Anhui, the WHO confirmed in an update, with a total of 1,884 cases of enterovirus (EV-71) infection reported worldwide as of Tuesday.
Chinese authorities have introduced a series of countermeasures, including enhanced monitoring of drinking water quality, increased training of health-care workers and greater surveillance, to try to curtail the spread of the outbreak, the WHO said.
Cases started to emerge in early March but the number of people hospitalized has jumped since 19 April, 2008, the WHO said, adding that public health experts have predicted the number of cases will not peak until June-July.
Non-polio enteroviruses are common worldwide, with young children most susceptible to infection and no vaccine currently available, the WHO said in a press statement. "The virus is contagious and can be transmitted through direct contact with the mucus, saliva or faces of an infected person."
