Baby dies of HFMD in Sibu

Star: KUCHING: A seven-month-old boy died in Sibu Hospital on Monday from suspected hand, foot and mouth disease. If the case is confirmed he would be the 12th fatality in the state this year.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the baby was admitted to Bintulu Hospital on July 19.
As his condition worsened, he was airlifted to Sibu Hospital on Saturday but died two days later.
Dr Chan said 92 new cases were reported statewide yesterday with 16 admitted to hospital.
Miri division had the highest number of cases with 20, followed by Kuching and Bintulu with 19 each and Sibu with 12. The total number of cases now stands at 12,584.
“I’m a bit worried, but hopefully the number of new cases will drop,” he said here yesterday.
He added that there had been a steady weekly increase in the number of cases in the “second wave” of the disease.
“Last week, which was the 29th week of the outbreak, there were 397 new cases, in the 28th week 412 cases, and in the 27th week 403, compared with 253 in the 25th week,” he said.
He added that the state Health Department had intensified its disease control operations to check the rise in new cases, including carrying out active case detection, health education and closure of kindergartens and primary schools with two or more cases.
So far five kindergartens and one primary school had been slapped with two-week closure orders during the “second wave.”
The department has also requested 20 medical officers to be sent here to beef up its manpower in tackling the spread of the disease.
In addition, a team of infectious disease experts from the Health Ministry in Kuala Lumpur is expected to arrive here next week to investigate the “second wave” of the disease.