Getting HFM does not mean death

The Star: PETALING JAYA: Getting the hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease does not mean that your child will die, said the head of Universiti Malaya's Microbiology Department.
Prof Sazaly Abu Bakar, who has researched the deadly Enterovirus 71, advised parents not to press the panic button.
“The rashes on the hand and feet of children are mainly caused by the Coxsackie virus A16, which is one of the more prevalent HFM viruses. But it hardly results in death,” he said, adding that almost all patients with the A16 virus recovered within a week to 10 days.
This virus is common among younger children.
“Children below the age of five are most vulnerable to the disease because their immunity is not properly developed compared with older children or adults,” he added.
“The deadly one is the other prevalent virus, the Enterovirus 71, which infected two of the four children who died in Sarawak last week,” said Prof Sazaly.
He said this virus replicates in the guts, gets secreted in the faeces and was spread through the water supply.
“Its main spreading mode is through direct contact with a person’s saliva, secretion and faeces,” he said.
He added that children do not usually catch the same illness twice due to the immunity developed against the virus.
“Those who claimed to have had HFM before may have only contracted the Coxsackie A16 virus. That is why they exhibit similar symptoms again,” he said.
Proper hygiene, such as washing hands with disinfectant, was still the best defence against HFM infection.
He, however, warned the “HFM virus, especially Enterovirus 71, can withstand most disinfectants, even those that consist of 70% alcohol.”
Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia president Norsheila Abdullah said it was important for parents and childcare centres to be on the alert for signs of HFM.
“If a child has fever, he should be kept away from the centre to prevent the disease from spreading,” she said.
Health Ministry Disease Control Department director Dr Ramlee Rahmat said parents should take their children to the hospital if they showed any symptoms of HFM. The obvious symptoms are fever, mouth ulcers, and rashes or blisters on the palm or sole.
The incubation period for HFM, he said, was between three and six days and a child would normally recover from the disease within a week.
“Do not treat the affected child at home. It is better for the child to get professional treatment at the hospital, and being in the hospital also prevents others from getting infected,” he said.
“Those who are mildly affected and not warded are advised to keep away from crowded places such as supermarkets, shopping malls and playgrounds to minimise the chances of spreading the disease.”