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SINGAPORE : The number of children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has gone up in the past few weeks.
The Health Ministry's (MOH) record shows that 18 percent of samples taken for tests were positive for the Enterovirus 71 (EV71). This is the strain which had caused seven deaths in Singapore a few years ago.
However, the ministry has assured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
Pre-school children are regularly checked for signs of HFMD. Despite stepped-up control measures, Singapore is seeing a surge in the number of children who contracted HFMD.
The MOH said that in the week ending April 5, there were 892 cases, up 27 percent from the previous week, when 702 cases were reported.
This brings the total number of reported cases from January to 5,315, up by 1,954 cases when compared with the same period last year.
The MOH said the increase may be due to greater awareness of HFMD and therefore more people have come forward to report it.
The ministry's record also showed that there is a higher circulation of the EV71 strain. 18 percent of the samples taken have tested positive for this strain, which has been known to cause infections to the brain, heart and lungs.
During the HFMD outbreak in 2000 and 2001, EV71 caused more than 70 deaths in children across Asia, including seven deaths in children in Singapore.
But the MOH said there is no cause for alarm.
Dr Lyn James, Director, Communicable Disease Division, said: "It's really difficult to say why some years we are seeing more cases related to EV71 and other years we don't. These are some of the mysteries behind viruses.
"What the Ministry of Health would like to stress to the public is that it is a mild childhood disease and almost everybody recovers. In the rare instance, there could be complications.
"And because right now we are seeing an increase in the circulation of the EV71 viruses, then people need to take a little bit more care in terms of preventing transmission of HFMD from child to child, and also being vigilant about children who have the disease."
This means that children need to observe good personal hygiene and those who are ill need to be kept away from the others.
Dr Lyn James said: "Children tend to (put toys in their mouth) and infection is transmitted through respiratory droplets, faeces and through fluids in their vesicle, so care must be taken to keep all their toys and whatever kind of other things they play with clean so that transmission is not spread from child to child.
"So the really important things that parents and the public can do is to observe good hygiene, personal hygiene as well when they are ill... when their child is ill with HFMD, keep them at home until they are fully recovered, until all their blisters are dried up, and this might take up to seven days."
She added that so far, there has been no complications arising from HFMD. The disease usually causes fever and poor appetite in children. They will also suffer blisters on the palms and soles, as well as rashes on their buttocks .
The MOH has reiterated that HFMD is a mild and self-limiting childhood disease. It is already endemic in Singapore, where there are seasonal outbreaks every year.
The ministry added that the current spike in HFMD cases is part of the normal epidemic trend, and this can be expected to continue over the next few weeks. - CNA/ms
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