A 17-year old schoolgirl was confirmed to have died of encephalitis after contracting enterovirus type 71 (EV71), announced the Macao Health Service Wednesday.

This was the first locally confirmed case of encephalitis caused by EV71 in Macao. The girl died on March 3 in the Government Hospital's intensive unit after nearly a month of treatment.

The Macao Center for the Disease Prevention and Control has verified the patient's infection with EV71 one month after her death.

According to local physicians, encephalitis is an inflammatory disease of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and are caused by bacterial or viral infections. The EV71 is one of the etiologic agents of epidemic hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). It spreads through faecal-oral contact and develops in the intestine before it is released in the bloodstream, from which it attacks the patient's immune system, lowering the body's resistance to fatal diseases.

Outbreaks of EV71 have been reported around the world since 1969. In order to prevent the spread of EV71, pupils suffering from HFMD have since 2000 been required by the Macao Health Service to be temporarily suspended from attending school. Macao recorded 330 HFMD cases last year.

The health bureau warned that the EV71 disease is highly infectious among small kids aged below five. It advised residents to ensure personal hygiene at all times, namely before taking meals and after using the toilet.

Source: Xinhua