Since the start of this year, 620 hand, foot and mouth (HFM) disease cases have been reported in Da Nang.  In particular, the number of child patients has increased by 10 per week over the past 2 months.

Outbreaks of the disease, which is a contagious viral illness, can occur all year round, but they especially occur between March and April and between September and November.  The Head of the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital, Doctor Nguyen Cong Canh, said that HFM outbreaks most commonly occur after the end of summer.  He added that the hot weather and the accompanying high humidity facilitate the development of both the viruses and the bacteria which are known to directly cause the disease.

Doctor Canh examining an HFM disease-affected child

Doctor Canh also stressed the need to bathe with anti-bacterial soap and carefully wash clothes immediately after visiting HFM disease patients in the isolation wards of local hospitals.  This will help to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the infection.