There are now about 25,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease across China.
Neighbouring Vietnam is facing about 3,000 cases this year, more than its total number in 2007. Eleven children there have died, the most recent a 19-month-old girl.
OUTBREAK
In March, 22 people died in a cluster of EV71 cases in Fuyang city. That outbreak was not made public until late April, provoking calls for Fuyang officials to be sacked.
The outbreak has also triggered memories of the deadly SARS epidemic that crippled China in 2003. China initially covered up the SARS outbreak.
The situation in Fuyang was stabilising, with patients being discharged outnumbering those being admitted to hospital for the first time since the outbreak started, Xinhua reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
The World Health Organisation has said the delay in publicly announcing Fuyang's hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak was not because of any cover-up. It was due to problems local doctors faced trying to identify the illness.
China has since issued a nationwide alert, closing kindergartens and sending officials to visit nurseries and primary schools and educate staff on hygiene and prevention.
A U.S. health official offered to assist China in curbing the outbreak, and U.S. Health Secretary Michael Leavitt is to visit Beijing next week, Xinhua reported.
"We are willing to help China in any way possible with this issue," it quoted William Steiger, head of the Office of Global Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health, as saying.
