Health authorities in east China's Shandong Province confirmed Thursday the death of a baby girl from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

It brings the total death toll from HFMD in Heze, an inland city in Shandong, to three, the Shandong Provincial Health Bureau reported.

The one year old girl, identified only by her surname as Wang, was a native of Sunlaojia Township, Caoxian County. She fell ill March 21 and died at 11:40 p.m. Wednesday at the Heze Hospital for Contagious Diseases.

In addition to HFMD, other complications such as myocarditis, viral cerebritis and pulmonary edema were also blamed for the girl's death.

The two other deaths in Heze included a seven-month-old boy identified as Liu and a 15-month-old boy identified as Zhang. Liu died Sunday and Zhang died Monday.

Heze city reported 967 HFMD cases between Jan. 1 and midnight Wednesday, of which, 166 cases were added Wednesday.

In Henan Province, which borders Shandong, HFMD had sickened 4,428 children as of midnight Wednesday since the beginning of this year. Three of whom died from the disease, according to Zhou Yong, spokesman for the Henan Provincial Health Bureau.

The province has initiated a daily report on HFMD cases to ensure timely treatment, said vice governor Song Xuantao of the province.

According to the Ministry of Health, HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but EV71 and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) were the most common.

HFMD usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcers in the mouth and rashes on hands and feet. Those with EV71 often show serious symptoms. HFMD can also lead to meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in some children. There is no vaccine.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2009)