Outbreak of febrile illness caused by coxsackievirus A4 in a nursery school in Beijing, China

Li, Jin-Song; Dong, Xiao-Gen; Qin, Meng; Xie, Zhi-Ping; Gao, Han-Chun; Yang, Jun-Yong; Yang, Xiao-Xin; Li, Dan-Di; Li, Jie; Duan, Zhao-Jun

BACKGROUND: Coxsackievirus A4 (CV-A4) is classified as human enterovirus A according to its serotype. CV-A4, an etiological agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease, affects children worldwide and can circulate in closed environments such as schools and hospitals for long periods. FINDINGS: An outbreak of febrile illness at a nursery school in Beijing, China, was confirmed to be caused by CV-A4. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome of the isolated strain showed that the virus belongs to the same cluster as the predominant CV-A4 strain in China. This outbreak was controlled by effective measures. CONCLUSIONS: The early identification of the pathogen and timely intervention may be the most critical factors in controlling an outbreak caused by CV-A4 in a preschool.