Warning of the increase in hand, foot and mouth disease

The time for students and children to return to school is approaching, coinciding with the annual peak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). And raising awareness about disease prevention is identified as an urgent task to control the increase in new cases.

Increase earlier than peak season

Since the beginning of the year, Binh Thuan has recorded 569 cases of hand and foot lice, including 2 deaths in La Gi. Districts and towns with high numbers of cases include La Gi with 138 cases, Ham Thuan Nam with 105 cases, and Ham Thuan Bac with 95 cases. The number of cases in these 3 localities accounts for 59.4% of the total number of cases in the province. Notably, the number of cases increased rapidly in June and July 2023, although this is not the peak season for hand and foot lice. However, hand and foot lice circulate all year round; in the period 2017-2021, the disease increased during the peak season around August-October. However, in the past 2 years, the disease has tended to increase earlier than the peak season. That is information from the Provincial Center for Disease Control.

During the same period, Binh Thuan General Hospital received 41 patients, of which 3 were transferred. In June alone, the hospital treated 32 cases, much higher than the previous months. Of these, 28 were grade 1, 2 were grade 2A, and 2 were grade 2B2. La Gi is the locality with the highest number of TCM cases in the province with 138 cases. La Gi Regional General Hospital is receiving and treating 18 sick children, of which 5 cases are being monitored for progression. A few cases, through testing, recorded the presence of the EV71 strain. This is the common strain according to the results of virus isolation in La Gi at present.

Binh Thuan Department of Health monitoring delegation works with La Gi Medical Center on TCM disease prevention

Although the summer vacation is still going on, schools and childcare groups still organize activities for children to participate in summer school. Specifically, in La Gi, the outbreak of hand and foot flu has appeared not only in the community but also in childcare groups. Therefore, disease prevention work for children needs to be strengthened more strictly.

Do not go to private clinics when children have TCM

Through a survey of families with deaths in La Gi, it was found that when children got sick, their families or parents took them to private clinics. Then, the family took the child to the hospital, but the child had already become seriously ill. Therefore, the health sector recommends that parents of children pay attention, when the first symptoms of high fever that are difficult to reduce should take the child to a medical facility early for treatment by a doctor to avoid rapid progression.

According to experts, the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain of HFMD manifests itself in the nervous system and can easily lead to high mortality. Neurological manifestations include startle, dizziness; tremors in the limbs, staggering; some manifestations of brainstem damage such as rapid pulse, high blood pressure, pulmonary edema; and vasomotor disorders. Within 1 day, there are cases that progress from stage 1 to stage 4. HFMD often occurs in children, especially those under 5 years old, but there is no vaccine to prevent the disease. Raising awareness of disease prevention is identified as an urgent task to control the increase in new cases.

The time for students and children to return to school is approaching, coinciding with the annual peak of HFMD. Therefore, HFMD prevention still relies on personal hygiene measures to avoid direct transmission between children. Families with children, schools, and childcare groups must clean toys and surfaces that children frequently come into contact with. Parents, teachers, and caregivers at schools and childcare groups should detect sick children early and isolate them to limit the spread. At the same time, train children in the habit of washing their hands regularly.

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