<Li> In 2012 in Cambodia, 52 of 59 reviewed cases of children reportedly dead (as of July 9, 2012) due to a mysterious disease were diagnosed to be caused by a virulent form of HFMD . Although a significant degree of uncertainty exists with reference to the diagnosis, the WHO report states, "Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the samples tested positive for enterovirus 71 (EV - 71), which causes hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The EV - 71 virus has been known to generally cause severe complications amongst some patients ." </Li> <Li> HFMD infected 1,520,274 people with up to 431 deaths reported at the end of July in 2012 in China . </Li> <P> HFMD cases were first described clinically in Canada and New Zealand in 1957 . The disease was termed "Hand Foot and Mouth Disease", by Thomas Henry Flewett, after a similar outbreak in 1960 . </P> <P> Novel antiviral agents to prevent and treat infection with the viruses responsible for HFMD are currently under development . Preliminary studies have shown inhibitors of the EV - 71 viral capsid to have potent antiviral activity . </P>

When did hand foot and mouth disease begin