Schools step up checks as more kids hit by HFMD

Looks like its getting serious ..
But the childcare centres, schools are taking steps to prevent it from spreading
Below is an article from Straits Time today, pls click the picture to zoom it for your reading.

Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention - HFMD

Symptoms

• fever
• sore throat
• ulcers in the throat, mouth and tongue
• headache
• a rash with vesicles (small blisters-- 3-7 mm) on hands, feet and diaper area. The vesicles are typically on the palm side of the hands the sole side of the feet and very characteristic in appearance.
• loss of appetite

Treatment
There is no specific treatment for the infection other than symptomatic relief of symptoms.

Treatment with antibiotics is not effective and is not indicated. Acetaminophen can be used to treat fever. Aspirin should not be used in viral illnesses in children under age 12 years.

Salt water mouth rinses (1/2 teaspoon of salt to 1 glass of warm water) may be soothing if the child is able to rinse without swallowing. Ensure an adequate fluid intake because swallowing may be painful. Extra fluid is needed when a fever is present.

HFMD in Singapore
HFMD is present all year round in Singapore. Outbreaks do occur in childcare centres, kindergartens and schools. HFMD became legally notifiable on 1 October 2000. Although usually a mild disease, it has been associated with fatalities usually due to complications involving the heart and nervous system.

Advice for parents
Parents are advised to consult a doctor early if their child has symptoms of HFMD. They should also be alert to any change in their child's normal behaviour, e.g. irritation and sleepiness. Should they refuse to eat or drink, have persistent vomiting or drowsiness, parents should bring their child immediately to hospital.

Prevention
Children should be kept away from crowded public places (such as schools, preschools, play groups, markets and public transport) if they show signs of infection. Family members are advised to follow good hygiene practices, including frequent hand washing, to limit the spread of the infection.

• Read more - Article 1 Health Promotion Board: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - HFMD
  
  
• Read more - Article 2 More HFMD cases reported this year
  
  
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Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - HFMD

1. Health Promotion Board: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - HFMD

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by the Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71. The throat and tonsils develop small ulcers while the hands, feet, and diaper area are affected by a rash with characteristic vesicles (very small blisters). This is usually a mild illness with the rash healing in 5 to 7 days.

Symptoms

• fever
• sore throat
• ulcers in the throat, mouth and tongue
• headache
• a rash with vesicles (small blisters, 3-7 mm) on hands, feet and diaper area. The vesicles are typically on the palm side of the hands the sole side of the feet and very characteristic in appearance
• loss of appetite

Blisters on the soles of the feet.
(Photograph courtesy of KK Women's and Children's hospital)

Read more about the article here
Are you (your child) able to get any medical reimbursements? Find out more here




2. More HFMD cases reported this year
Posted: 27 March 2008 1856 hrs - Channelnewsasia

SINGAPORE: There has been an increase in the number of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases this year.

The Health Ministry (MOH) has received 3,721 reports so far. It is alerting doctors to be vigilant and to detect new cases early for treatment.

It is also working with the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to alert schools to step up measures against HFMD.

If necessary, the Health Ministry may require the closure of pre-schools under the Infectious Diseases Act.

HFMD is spread through direct contact with respiratory droplets. This includes saliva, faeces and blister fluid of an infected person.

Symptoms include fever, mouth ulcers and rashes with blisters on the palms and soles.

Children five years old and younger are the most vulnerable.

MOH has discovered high circulation of the Enterovirus 71 among infected persons since mid-February.

The re-emergence of the virus is of concern as there could be serious health complications.

Read more about the article here
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3. ARCHIVE 2006: More dangerous strain of HFMD on the rise in Singapore
By Joanne Leow, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 March 2006 1621 hrs

SINGAPORE : A more dangerous strain of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is on the rise in Singapore.

Of the over 2,000 cases reported since the beginning of this year, some 75 percent have tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV71).

EV71 can cause complications involving the heart and brain which can result in death.

The Health Ministry is concerned about the recent increase in HFMD cases in the region which have resulted in eight deaths in Sarawak and one death in Brunei.

There has been a sharp increase in the weekly average number of HFMD cases this year, doubling from 174 cases per week in February to 331 cases weekly in March.

But Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says it is not the figures he is so worried about, but the EV71 strain of the disease which was associated with seven deaths here in the years 2000 and 2001.

Young children are the most susceptible with two-thirds of the cases in Singapore aged less than five years.

The disease is spread through direct contact with an infected person and indirectly through contaminated articles.