EV71: An emerging infectious disease vaccine target in the Far East?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness in infants and children caused by viruses that belong to the enterovirus genus of the picornavirus family. Although most HFMD do not result in serious complications, outbreaks of HFMD caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) can present with a high rate of neurological complications, including meningoencephalitis, pulmonary complications, and possibly death. HFMD caused by EV71 has become a major emerging infectious disease in Asia and the highly pathogenic potential of EV71 clearly requires the attention of world medical community. Although vaccine development for EV71 is active and ongoing in Asian countries, a greater joint effort is needed for vaccine researchers and developers in both developed and developing countries to produce a safe and effective EV71 vaccine.