ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To learn about the pathogen spectrum and genetic characterization of HFMD with encephalitis in Yantai city.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stool samples and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) collected from HFMD with encephalitis cases in Yantai. Virus were isolated from stool samples and identified by fluorescence reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The VPl region was amplified and sequenced from positive specimens. Genetic characterization was identified by sequence analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Getting 3 virus strains from 10 stool specimens and all of them belong to EV71. The nucleotide and amino acid homogeneity with the representative isolates of C4a were 98%-99% and 98.90%-99.45% respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The pathogen of HFMD with encephalitis in Yantai city were mainly EV71 wich belong to subgenogroup C4 cluster C4a.</p>