HFMD (Hand, foot and mouth disease)

HFMD (Hand, foot and mouth disease):Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a human syndrome caused by intestinal viruses of the Picornaviridae family. The most common strains causing HFMD are Coxsackie A virus and Enterovirus 71 (EV-71).

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months. The usual incubation period is 3–7 days.

It is uncommon in adults, but those with immune deficiencies are very susceptible. HFMD is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), which is a disease affecting sheep, cattle, and swine, and which is unrelated to HFMD (but also caused by a member of the Picornaviridae family).

The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases here has breached epidemic levels, with an apparently earlier onset this year, compared to years past.

According to the Ministry of Health's latest statistics, there were 815 HFMD cases between Feb 12 and 18, breaching the epidemic level of 780 cases. As of last Saturday, there were 3,457 cases this year, about three times more than the 1,383 cases during the same period last year.

In response to media queries, the MOH said that 17 pre-schools have been identified as having clusters of prolonged transmission since the beginning of the year. Six of these pre-schools were required to undergo mandatory closure due to HFMD. Currently, there are five childcare centres with active clusters of prolonged transmission and one childcare centre has been ordered to be closed till the end of next week.

While HFMD cases typically peak around March and taper off around December, this year has seen higher HFMD numbers since January. However, an MOH spokesperson said that hospital and General Practitioner (GP) surveillance have indicated that the uptrend is not related to the EV71 virus - known to carry potentially serious complications.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has claimed the lives of nine children among the more than 6,300 reported cases in the first six weeks of this year, the Ministry of Health announced Monday.

The number of HFMD infections this year is up 7.3 percent from the same period last year (there were 869 infections in the first six weeks of 2011).

According to the ministry, the southern region has the highest rates of HFMD, having recorded 3,800 cases of infection and eight fatalities.

Nguyen Tran Hien, director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), said the figures signaled a difficult year ahead for the health sector as the HFMD epidemic is showing no signs of slowing down.

Last year, the disease infected at least 110,000 people in 63 cities and provinces nationwide. Of that number, 166 died, mostly children under 5 years old.

Tran Thanh Duong, deputy chief of the Vietnam Administration of Preventive Medicine, said the situation surrounding the disease has become more complicated in 2012, as it has appeared so early in the year.

As bad as it was, 2012 is showing early signs that the epidemic could be worse this year. According to Tran Thanh Duong, deputy head of the health department Tuesday, believes that a more complex and serious epidemic situation may be developing in Vietnam.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Vietnam’s HFMD outbreak could be worse than last year - National infectious disease | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/infectious-disease-in-national/vietnam-s-hfmd-outbreak-could-be-worse-than-last-year#ixzz1nDNjFm2x





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