Further investigations are underway to identify the type of Enterovirus.
EV71 belongs to a group of viruses called Enterovirus. However, in a small proportion of cases, EV71 has been known to cause complications such as infection of the brain, heart or lungs. Of these, four were confirmed to have EV71 infection. The reason why EV71 causes complications in certain children but not in the majority of cases is still unclear. There has been no evidence so far to suggest that a new strain of EV71 has emerged.