The infection rate is currently on the rise, with the peak period expected between May and June. Four provincial health officials have already been sacked over the outbreak.

Last year, over 500,000 children in China were infected by the virus, almost 200 of them died, the China Daily said.

HFMD can be caused by a host of intestinal viruses, but Enterovirus (EV71) and the Coxsackievirus (Cox A16) are the most common causative agents. The virus is highly contagious among children and spreads through the digestive system.

Though the death rate from the enterovirus itself is quite low, it can cause a number of severe complications depending on the age of the patient, such as polio and meningitis.