Familiar disease is making a comeback

WHILE our attention is focused on the war against Covid-19, an old enemy has made its comeback – hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

There has been a huge spike in the number of cases reported in various states lately, so much so that Health director- general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has warned the public of the seriousness of HFMD, “HFMD cases up 15-fold so far this year, warns Health DG” (The Star, May 17; online at https://bit.ly/38yuPct).

The total number of cases as at May 14 was 31,661, which is 15 times higher than the amount recorded within the same period last year (2,121).

A common infection in children that causes sores called ulcers inside or around their mouth and a rash or blisters on their hands, feet, legs, or buttocks, HFMD has been endemic in Malaysia for quite some time, so we should have a better understanding on how contagious and dangerous it can be if no proper preventive measures are taken.

Perhaps our obsession with Covid-19 is preventing us from detecting the return of HFMD, which can infect anyone.

Children, particularly those below five years old, are more vulnerable to HFMD because their immune system is not as strong as adults.

Similar to Covid-19, HFMD is spread through coughing, sneezing, touching of contaminated objects, etc.

There are currently no specific medicines or vaccines for HFMD, hence the best way to deal with it is prevention from infection.

This can be done by observing basic hygiene practices such as frequent and thorough handwashing with soap, and avoiding close contact and sharing eating utensils with infected persons.

Let us be vigilant in our fight against HFMD, Covid-19 and other contagious diseases in Malaysia.

KUEK THIAM YONG

DR CHEN I-CHI

DR CHOONG YUEN ONN

and DR KHOR SAW CHIN

UTAR