title: Outbreak of variant hand-foot-and-mouth disease caused by coxsackievirus A6 in Auckland, New Zealand.
abstract: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a common, usually mild childhood illness caused by enteroviruses. Over the last five years, coxsackievirus A6 has been identified as a causative agent in outbreaks in Europe, South-East Asia and America. It has an atypical presentation compared with other enteroviruses, with more widespread rash, larger blisters and subsequent skin peeling and/or nail shedding. We give the first description of an outbreak of coxsackievirus A6 in New Zealand and how health-care communication networks enabled detection of and dissemination of information about this emergent strain.
authors.affiliation: Children's Emergency Department, Starship Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tarring
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Best
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006232:Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: coxsackievirus infection; disease outbreak; hand-foot-and-mouth disease