Hanoi endures sharp rise in hand-foot-mouth disease cases
VOV.VN - The number of individuals being infected with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) has witnessed a sharp increase in the capital in recent months, with 82 new cases being detected since the beginning of this year.
During a recent meeting, Hoang Duc Hanh, deputy director of the Hanoi Health Department, said since the beginning of the year a total of 18,436 infections have been reported nationwide, with four confirmed deaths being linked with HFMD.
In contrast to the same period from last year, the number of infections has shot up by 4.3 times.
Hanh stated that a typical year normally involves the capital reporting between 1,000 and 3,000 HFMD cases, with the majority of infections occurring in children under five years old.
To limit the number of HFMD cases, the health department of Hanoi have requested that health centres work closely alongside schools, especially kindergartens and preschools, in order to take necessary preventive measures aimed at stamping out any outbreaks of the disease.
Furthermore, both children and adults should thoroughly wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. These efforts will greatly contribute to preventing the risk of infections spreading, whilst also maintaining hygiene both at home and in public areas due to the disease spreading through contact with human waste and bodily fluids.
At present, there is no active vaccine that can protect people against HFMD, with the best solution being for patients to avoid complications being to go to hospital in order to receive treatment.
Many experts consider the disease to be highly dangerous as it can rapidly lead to fatal complications, including a decline in respiratory capacity, meningitis, and heart muscle inflammation. Indeed, treatment for HFMD requires the use of both respirators and blood dialysis.
