Unconfirmed reports in the Mongolian media and general public opinion this week suggested the outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) had likely spread from China into Mongolia via the Beijing to Ulaanbaatar railway.

Mongolian officials have yet to speculate on the cause of the outbreak, which has been in China for several weeks. Reports had 24,934 children infected with the disease on the Chinese mainland, with 42 children killed. Concerning for Chinese officials is that the disease has begun to spread north, with authorities in Beijing yesterday reporting the death of two children due to HFMD. These are the first deaths due to HFMD ever recorded in Beijing. THE UB POST