HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Health has ordered preventivemedicine units and facilities across the nation tostrengthen hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) prevention in response to theincrease in the number of cases in major cities across the nation.

The ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine has told provincialhealth departments to implement measures, especially those areas athigh risk of an outbreak.

The department has also told local Centres for Disease Control (CDCs)to provide professional training and guidance on the supervision and treatmentof the disease.

The health sector should work closely with schools to carry out preventivemeasures and to ensure hygiene practices at schools, especially atkindergartens.

Schools must adopt effective preventive measures, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, and cleaning of contaminated surfaces andsoiled items like toys with soap and water, and a diluted solution ofchlorine-containing bleach to disinfect them.

Health departments in provinces and cities should try to detect casesearly in schools and immediately notify local authorities for earlycheck-ups and treatment.

It is important that mobile emergency teams be ready to investigate,verify and handle the outbreak and support lower levels incontrolling the outbreak, and offer emergency care and treatment. It isalso necessary to prevent cross-contamination in hospitals and treatment facilities.

According to reports from local CDCs, since the beginning of the year, thecountry has recorded 10,745 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 63provinces and cities, of which 6,662 cases were hospitalised. There were nodeaths. 

Compared to the same period last year, the number of cases nationwide decreasedby more than 55 percent, while the number of hospitalised cases decreasedby more than 51 percent. 

However, the number of cases has surged in recent weeks in cities and provincesacross the country such as HCM City, Hanoi, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Da Nang, QuangNgai, Vinh Phuc, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh.

Hand-foot-mouth disease, a mild, contagious viral infection common in youngchildren, is characterised by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands andfeet. The disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus,health experts said.

There is currently no vaccine for the disease or specific treatment.Frequent hand-washing and avoiding close contact with infected people mayhelp reduce the risk of infection.

The disease may cause fever, sore throat, feeling of being unwell, loss ofappetite, or painful, red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums andinside of the cheeks.

The incubation period is three to six days. A fever is often the first sign ofhand-foot-and-mouth disease, followed by a sore throat and sometimes a poorappetite and malaise.

One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the frontof the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and possibly on thebuttocks can follow within one or two days.

Sores that develop in the back of the mouth and throat may suggest that thechild is infected with a related viral illness called herpangina.Other distinguishing features of herpangina includea sudden high fever, and in some instances, seizure. Sores that develop on thehands, feet or other parts of the body are rare, according to experts.

Parents should contact a doctor if their children’s signs and symptoms worsen./.