KUCHING, June 5: The spread of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has risen from 604 cases in Week 20 to 822 cases in Week 21.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian reminded parents of children with HFMD to keep their children out of kindergartens, nurseries, and play schools while they are sick in order to help reduce spreading of the disease.
In addition, he advised parents to bring their children for immediate medical attention.
“If the child does not appear to be getting better or is getting more ill, parents are advised to bring the child back to see the doctor or to the nearest hospital for further medical examination and treatment,” he said on Friday (June 4) on RTM Sarawak’s REDfm radio broadcast.
Dr Sim who is also Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister pointed out that HFMD can only spread from human to human.
“The main methods of spread are by direct contact with people having the illness, faecal to hands and hand-to-mouth, as well as inhalation of droplets spread by coughing and sneezing.
“The disease usually begins with a fever, poor appetite, malaise (appearing vaguely unwell), and often with a sore throat.
“One or two days after the onset of fever, painful sores usually develop in the mouth which begin as small red spots that blister and then often develop into ulcers,” he said.
He also highlighted the sores are usually located on the tongue, gum, and buccal of the mouth.
“A non-itchy skin rash develops over one or two days, and it has flat or raised red spots and sometimes with blisters.
“The rash is usually located on the palms and soles, and it may also appear on the buttocks or genitalia.
“A person with HFMD may only have the rash or only the mouth sores,” Dr Sim explained.
He also pointed out that the Sarawak Health Department would like to advise the public, especially those with young children to take precautions to reduce their risk of getting infected.
“This includes washing hands with soap and clean water after using the toilet, before preparing food, after changing diapers and washing children clean; covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing; not sharing personal items like toothbrushes, handkerchiefs, towels, blankets, cups, forks, and spoons.
“Moreover, maintaining cleanliness in the house, childcare centres, kindergartens, and schools as well as their surroundings—washing all toys and surfaces which have been contaminated with saliva of children; bringing children to the nearest clinic or hospital if they have signs or symptoms of infection.
“Besides that, parents are advised not to bring their children to crowded public places such as swimming pools, markets, shopping centres, bus stations, and others. Parents of children who show signs of symptoms of infection should not send the children to childcare centres and kindergartens or schools but (the children) should be brought to a clinic immediately for treatment. [Parents] should not prick or burst the HFMD blisters of the children, should wash their hands after dressing the blisters and emptying the bowels, and should provide a separate set if eating utensils for the children,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed today via a Facebook post that since May 13, 2022, monkeypox has been reported by 23 World Health Organisation (WHO) member States not endemic to the monkeypox virus.
“So far, no cases of smallpox have been reported in Malaysia,” MOH disclosed. — DayakDaily
