The recent outbreak of hand, food and mouth disease in China has continued to spread despite harsh measures by the government which has already punished dozens of doctors for their slow response. The number of reported cases jumped to nearly 20,000 while the death toll rose to near 30 children, Xinhua reported.

"Some of the fatalities occurred because of late response time," said Mao Qunan, a Chinese Health Ministry spokesman, as quoted by AP. "They were sent to hospital too late, increasing the difficulty of treating them. But early detection and early treatment can help curb the outbreak," Qunan said.

The outbreak was caused by the enterovirus 71 (EV71). All the children infected are aged below 6, with most of them being under 2, due to their lower immune function. The hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) it causes is in no way linked with foot-and-mouth disease which affects animals, which is caused by another member of the Picornaviridae family.

EV71, which causes hand, food and mouth disease, is a childhood illness found worldwide that spreads with saliva, feces, fluid secreted from blisters or mucus from the nose and throat. Symptoms typically include fever, skin rashes and sores inside the mouth and on fingers and toes.

The illness has no specific treatment, but children usually recover quickly without problems. However, there are cases when the illness can result in a more serious form that can lead to paralysis, brain swelling or death. The outbreak of EV71 comes amid preparations for the Olympic Games, already tarnished by unrest among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests.