KUALA LUMPUR: The public must heed calls made by the health authorities to take the necessary precautions against the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) as it is spreading all over the country at a worryingly rapid rate.
The disease has so far claimed two lives, one in Sarawak and the other in Penang.
On July 28, a two-year-old child died of suspected HFMD in Mukah, Sarawak. The toddler, who was from Kampung Pangtray, Daro, in Mukah, had fever on July 24 and showed signs of rashes on the palms and feet, as well as oral ulcers the next day.
In Penang, a 17-month-old boy died on June 6; he was admitted to a private hospital on June 3 after experiencing flu, breathing difficulty and mouth ulcers but his condition deteriorated. Tests confirmed that the child died from a lung infection as a result of complications from Enterovirus 71 (EV71), which causes HFMD.
At the time of writing, a total of 39,408 HFMD cases were reported nationwide since Jan 1. Selangor recorded the highest number of cases at 11,669, followed by Kuala Lumpur (4,552) and Sarawak (4,551).
In Negri Sembilan and Penang, the number of cases reported this year rose steeply by 186.2% and 116% respectively, compared to the same period last year.
Isolate patients
Paediatrician Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, who is attached to KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital in Shah Alam, stressed the importance of isolating patients suspected of suffering from HFMD as the infection spread easily through direct contact like sharing of toys and gadgets.
He advised the management of childcare centres and schools to isolate children who seem unwell and send them home immediately.
“Children who are not feeling well should not be taken out (to public places). Parents must also make sure their children don’t share their things with others because the virus that causes HFMD spreads easily through touch,” he told Bernama.
The HFMD virus can be transmitted through direct contact with the patient’s nasal discharge, saliva, blisters or faeces, and also via contact with surfaces and toys contaminated with the virus.
Those infected with the virus usually exhibit one or more symptoms such as fever or ulcers in the mouth or rashes on the palm or sole.
Crowded places where the standard of cleanliness is suspect are especially open to HFMD infections, hence it is not too surprising that the HFMD virus was detected on the handlebars of shopping trolleys and on child ride equipment at some supermarkets in Penang.
Adults can also be infected by the virus but they usually have mild symptoms like fever.
To contain the infection, practising high standards of personal and environmental hygiene is of paramount importance, especially for parents and operators of childcare centres and kindergartens.
Take note of symptoms
Dr Zulkifli, who was the former president of the Malaysian Paediatric Association, advised parents to take their children to a doctor immediately if they showed signs such as loss of appetite, tiredness, lethargy, drowsiness and rapid breathing.
Besides EV71, the Coxsackie A16 virus (Cox A16) also causes HFMD. The HFMD cases detected in Peninsular Malaysia are mostly caused by Cox A16, with the infections usually mild in nature.
However, pointed out Dr Zulkifli, EV71-HFMD was more serious as it can lead to brain and heart complications and even death.
In 1997, there was an outbreak of HFMD due to EV71 in Sarawak, which caused the death of 31 children between April 15 and June 30 that year.
Currently, fears of EV71 re-emerging have prompted the health authorities to warn parents not to take the HFMD infection lightly. — Bernama
