Abstract: Objective To explore cluster epidemics of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in Guizhou province from 2013 to 2014,and to provide evidences for prevention and control of HFMD.Methods Data on HFMD cluster incidents from 2013 to 2014 in Guizhou province were collected.The distribution and etiological characteristics of the cluster incidents were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 software.Results A total of 2 496 HFMD cluster epidemics with 7 662 cases (accounting for 8.15% of all reported cases) were reported in Guizhou province during the 2-year period;of the cluster epidemics,56 (2.16%) were outbreaks,involving 566 cases (accounting for 7.39% of all cluster HFMD cases);of all the cases of cluster epidemics,70 (0.91%) were severe case.The number of cluster epidemics and clustering cases increased by 37.94% and 52.45%,respectively,in 2014 compared with those in 2013.The seasonal variation of the HFMD cluster epidemics was consistent with that of overall FHMD epidemic trend in 2014,with two epidemic peaks of from March to June (72.72%) and from October to November (8.57%).The cluster epidemics distributed in 88 counties or districts of 9 municipalities and prefectures in the province;the 5 municipalities with top 5 higher cluster incidence were Zunyi,Qianxinan,Guiyang,Liupanshui,and Bijie and the 10 prefectures with higher cluster incidence were Honghuagang,Zunyi,Huichuan,Zhongshan,Renhuai,Anlong,Ceheng,Shuicheng,Meitan,and Daozhen.The cluster epidemics were mainly occurred in the rural areas (52.84% of all cluster epidemics) and 45.95% of the cluster epidemics took place in familial environment.The male to female ratio of the cluster HFMD cases was 1.35:1 in 2013 and 2014,and the majority of the cluster cases (94.18%) were small children under 5-years-old and 48.69% of the cases were kindergarten children.The detection rate of enterovirus among the cluster cases was 77.82% (677/870);among the cases with single infection,other intestinal virus was the most detected (32.20%),followed by Coxsackie A-16 (CoxA16) (25.58%).For the 120 mixed infection cases,enterovirus 71 and CoxA16 were common pathogens involved in the complicated infections with other enteroviruses.There was a difference in the pathogen distribution between 2013 and 2014.Conclusion The FHMD cluster epidemics increased with the overall HFMD incident in Guizhou province and occurred mainly in familial and kindergarten environment with changes in pathogenic distribution;surveillance and health education on HFMD epidemic should be conducted among the public continuously.