病毒感染通常为散发,但全球各地都可出现暴发。柯萨奇病毒传染性极强。男女感染率相当,多见于 10 岁以下儿童。但是,大龄儿童、青少年、成人也可感染。毒力更强的肠病毒 71 感染造成的流行多见于东亚和南亚地区,例如中国台湾和马来西亚。这可导致严重疾病,并发症发生率和死亡率均较高。[9]Chang LY, Tsao KC, Hsia SH, et al. Transmission and clinical features of enterovirus 71 infections in household contacts in Taiwan. JAMA. 2004;291:222-227.http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/2/222http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14722149?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Chang LY, Huang LM, Gau SS, et al. Neurodevelopment and cognition in children after enterovirus 71 infection. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1226-1234.http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa065954#t=articlehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17377160?tool=bestpractice.com[11]Chang LY, Lin TY, Huang YC, et al. Comparison of enterovirus 71 and coxsackie-virus A16 clinical illnesses during the Taiwan enterovirus epidemic, 1998. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1999;18:1092-1096.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10608631?tool=bestpractice.com[12]Lee TC, Guo HR, Su HJ, et al. Diseases caused by enterovirus 71 infection. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009;28:904-910.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20118685?tool=bestpractice.com