To investigate the epidemical features, etiological and clinical characteristics of HFMD in Suzhou city, from 2011 to 2015, providing the scientific supports for HFMD prevention and control.

In each district of Suzhou city, at least five specimens of mild cases were collected per month, while all of the severe cases were sampled. The RNA from each sample was examined using a commercially available real-time PCR kit. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.5 software.

We retrospectively analyzed HFMD epidemiological data in Suzhou from 2011 to 2015, a total of 4 552 outpatients in Suzhou city were diagnosed with HFMD, including 2 818 positive specimen, the total positive rate was 61.90%, and there was a significant difference in the positive rates between the adjacent years (χ²=186.09, P<0.0001). From 2011 to 2015 in Suzhou, HFMD mainly affected children aged 1 to 5 years old, 66.17% of them were 1to 3 years old. Enterovirus 71(EV71) and coxsackievirus A16(CVA16) were the predominant viral genotypes in Suzhou from 2011 to 2012, and 2014. In 2013, other EVs were dominant, the severe cases mainly correlated with EV71 subtypes, and the proportion of patients with severe disease was significantly decreased in 2013.

EV71 and CVA16 are still the important pathogens of HFMD, other EVs also occupy a certain proportion, it is the time to select one or two advantage pathogens from the other EVs into the HFMD monitoring.

Hand, foot and mouth disease; Coxsackievirus A16; Enterovirus 71