In early 1998 after discussion with a number of community paediatricians, our team set up a protocol for a sentinel surveillance programme for HFMD. The doctors who had consented to actively participate were provided with a standard reporting and specimen collection form, sterile swabs and virus transport medium, a telephone number for obtaining assistance for transport of specimens to the laboratory and a facsimile number to report cases to the Health Department. All sentinel clinic doctors obtained parental consent before swabs were taken. Sentinel clinic doctors were provided with feedback on viruses isolated from their patients and contact was maintained through both outbreak and inter-outbreak periods to assure doctors that the surveillance programme was active and ongoing. Data obtained in this manner were expected to provide accurate information about disease trends and molecular epidemiology of the relevant viruses.