Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease for children, especially children are under 5 years old. Hand, foot and mouth disease has a rapid spread rate, easy to epidemic, the annual disease peak is from March to May and from August to September. Characteristic signs of the disease are fever, sore throat, damage to oral mucosa and skin, mainly in the form of blisters, often found on palms, soles, knees, buttocks. However, in some cases, the disease can progress seriously and cause dangerous complications such as encephalitis – meningitis, myocarditis, and acute pulmonary edema leading to death, so it should be detected early and treated promptly.
From December 19, 2020 to January 18, 2021, the whole country had 2,901 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease, 2.3 times higher than the same period last year, down by 79.4% compared with the previous month. In January 2017, HFMD had 1,674 cases; 1084 cases in 2018; 1,586 cases in 2019 and 1,274 cases in 2020.
HFMD has not been vaccinated. To proactively prevent, people and communities need to actively implement the guidance of the Ministry of Health on disease prevention:
– Wash hands often with soap and running water several times a day (both adults and children), especially before preparing food, before eating/feeding a child, before holding a baby, and after going to the toilet, after changing diapers and cleaning the child.
– Doing food safely: Eat cooked, drink cooked; eating utensils must be cleaned before use (preferably soaking with boiling water); ensure to use clean water in daily activities; do not feed the baby; not feeding, sucking hands or sucking toys; do not allow children to share napkins, handkerchiefs, and eating utensils such as cups, bowls, plates, spoons, and toys that have not yet been disinfected.
– Regularly clean surfaces, daily contact tools such as toys, school supplies, door handles, stair handrails, table / chair surfaces, floors with soap or common detergents.
– Do not let children come into contact with someone being sick or being suspected of illness.
– Use a hygienic toilet, wastes of patients must be collected and disposed to sanitary toilets.
– When child detected with signs of suspicion of HFMD, the child should be examined or immediately notified to the nearest medical authority.