Sarawak Reports 158 New HFMD Cases

KUCHING, March 13 (Bernama) -- Sarawak has reported 158 new cases of the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 4,278, since the outbreak was detected statewide last month.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said Monday that although the death toll remained at six, with two fatalities found to be EV71 positive, the government viewed the situation as still critical.
"The critically ill nine-month-old infant is still awarded at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sibu Hospital while the condition of the five-year-old boy from Mukah has improved," he told Bernama here.
Dr Chan, who is also Sarawak Disaster and Relief Management Committee chairman, said, however, that the State Health Department had yet to confirm if the reported death of a one-year-old-girl from Mukah on Saturday was HFMD-related.
Preventive measures being taken to control the spread of the disease include a directive against children, especially those 10 years and below, visiting the peninsula as well as a ban on co-curricular activities during the one-week school holidays.
Dr Chan said the number of primary schools found to have two or more HFMD cases and ordered to close down stood at 14 and would remain closed until they had been given a clean bill of health by the department.
All the 488 kindergartens, nurseries and day-care centres in Sarawak, which had also been ordered to close, would be similarly monitored, he added.
The main mode of HFMD transmission is by direct contact with people having the illness, hand to mouth and inhalation of droplets spread by coughing and sneezing.
It can only spread from human to human but young children are most vulnerable due to their weaker immune system compared with adults, who can be carriers but do not show any symptoms of infection such as blisters on the hands, feet and mouth.