HEFEI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to stop the virus which has killed 20 spreading to more children, all kindergartens in Fuyang City have begun May Day holidays two days early.

    There are about 400,000 children below the age of five in Fuyang, in east China's Anhui Province.

    Du Changzhi, Anhui Provincial Health Department deputy chief, said the virus, known as enterovirus 71, or EV71, had altogether sickened 1,520 children, claiming 20 lives by Tuesday morning.

    A total of 585 had recovered and 412 are in hospital. Of those,26 are seriously ill.

    Hospitals in Fuyang in northwest Anhui started to take in children with fever, blisters, mouth ulcers and rashes on the hands and feet in early March. Some were diagnosed with brain, heart and lung damage.

    All were aged below six, of whom the majority being under two.

    Li Xingwang, chief with the center for treatment of infectious diseases of Beijing Ditan Hospital, said there was no need to panic.

    "An overwhelming majority of the patients are curable," said Li, who is in charge of the expert panel for prevention and treatment of the virus.

    "Treatment needs nothing special, and most of the children could recover after treatment of a week," Li said, while suggesting parents with children below age of six should teach them to wash their hands often, and they should air their homes frequently.

    Enterovirus 71 can cause hand, foot and mouth disease that usually starts with a slight fever followed by blisters and ulcersin the mouth and rashes on hands and feet.

    It may also cause high fever, meningitis, encephalitis, pulmonary edema and paralysis in a small number of children.

    Infection could lead to high mortalities rates in serious case sand there is no vaccine available.