ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease ( HFMD ) in Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights into HFMD control.@*Methods@#The incidence of HFMD in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2019 was collected from National Notifiable Disease Reporting System. The temporal distribution, human distribution, regional distribution and pathogenic typing of HFMD were descriptively analyzed in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2019.@*Results@#Totally 642 305 cases with HFMD were reported in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2019, including 121 severe cases and 9 fatal cases. The annual incidence of HFMD was 335.88/105, 147.76/105, 435.63/105 and 221.77/105, respectively. The incidence of HFMD peaked from May to July each year, and the three highest annual incidence included Ningbo, Jinhua and Wenzhou cities, while the lowest annual incidence was seen in Zhoushan City. The HFMD cases were predominantly found in children at ages of 1 to 5 years ( 537 738 cases, 83.72% ), and in children living at home ( 419 408 cases, 65.30% ). The average annual incidence of HFMD was higher in males than in females ( 328.23/105 vs. 239.99/105; P<0.05). The dominant pathogens gradually shifted from enterovirus 71 ( EV71 ) to Coxsachievirus A16 ( CA16 ), and other enteroviruses remained as the main pathogenic subtypes.@*Conclusions@#The incidence HFMD was high in summer and autumn in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2019. Children living at home are at a high risk of HFMD, and CA16 type gradually became the dominant pathogen of HFMD.