A 29 month-old boy has died from the hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in Shanghai, local authorities said Friday.

The infant from east China's Anhui Province fell ill on Saturday and died Thursday in a Shanghai hospital, according to Shanghai Health Bureau.

This has been the first HFMD death report in Shanghai since January 1 this year, it said, adding that 3,172 HFMD cases have been reported this year. Only 25 people have been hospitalized, while the others suffered minor illness.

There has been no disease outbreak in the city, the bureau said.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness that mainly affects children under the age of 10. Symptoms include fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It can sometimes be fatal if complications occur.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2009)