HFMD Outbreak Shows Downward Trend

KUCHING, March 20 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Health Department is sending surveillance medical teams to schools and villages to curb the spread of the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which has indicated a downward trend, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Monday.
Dr Chan, who is also the Sarawak Disaster and Relief Management Committee Chairman, said the situation was under control, especially in the rural areas, due to such proactive measures, which also saw the deployment of medical personnel and child specialists.
"As of today, a seriously ill one-year-and-nine-month old girl from Belawai, who was admitted to the Sibu hospital this morning is in stable condition while that of two other children, aged 13 months and two years, from Petra Jaya and Sarikei have improved," he told reporters after launching the "Planting the First Seed" project, a joint venture between Dole Asia Ltd, Sarawak-based Sebiro AgriFood Sdn Bhd and Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) here.
He said Sarawak reported 121 new cases in the last 24 hours compared to 174 previously, bringing the cumulative total to 5,624 since the current outbreak was detected in the state last month.
There were 31 new admissions, with 80 being warded in hospitals throughout Sarawak, he said.
He said the death toll remained at eight, including two cases confirmed to be Enterovirus 71 (EV71) positive, since Thursday while the department would be conducting further tests on the remaining ones to determine the actual cause.
Given that the children, who died from the disease were mostly in the two-year-old range, Dr Chan asked parents to be particularly careful if older siblings were found to be infected so as not to put the vulnerable younger ones at risk.
He said the department would be sending health teams to selected schools to examine the pupils for symptoms to contain the HFMD outbreak among the Primary Four, Five and Six pupils when school reopens Monday.
The Health Ministry's policy is that any school with two or more infections within seven days would be ordered to shut down for two weeks.
However 14 affected primary schools still remained closed, he said.