Hand, Foot. Mouth Disease

Hand, Foot. Mouth Disease

Members of the public should maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene to prevent Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease following an outbreak of the disease in a kindergarten cum child care centre in Western District involving 29 children.

The affected children, aged from 2 to 6 years from four classes, developed mouth ulcers, vesicles on feet and fever starting from June 15.

Twenty-six of them consulted private doctors or general out-patient clinics. None required hospitalization and all are in stable condition.

A CHP spokesman said CHP has paid site visits to the school and provided health advice to the management. Laboratory tests on the stool samples collected from the affected children will be carried out.

He said HFMD is a viral infection. It is mainly transmitted by the faecal-oral route. Direct contact with open and weeping skin vesicles may also spread the virus.

"In most cases, the fever, rash and ulcers subside spontaneously in one week and full recovery is usual. Complications are uncommon. Rarely, this illness may be associated with viral meningitis.

Parents are, therefore, advised to seek prompt medical attention if their children develop a high fever, decrease in alertness or deterioration of general condition," the spokesman added.

To prevent HFMD, members of the public, including management of institutions, should adopt the following measures:

- Maintain good air circulation.

- Wash hands before meals and after going to toilet, handling diapers or other stool soiled materials.

- Keep hands clean and wash hands properly, especially when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, e.g. after sneezing.

- Cover nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharge properly.

- Clean children's toys and other objects thoroughly and frequently with 1:99 diluted household bleach, followed by rinsing/wiping with clean water.

- Children who are ill should be kept out of school until their fever and rash have subsided and all the vesicles have dried and crusted.

source:www.emaxhealth.co