The Da Nang People's Committee has just issued an official dispatch requesting relevant agencies and media agencies to take timely precautions against the hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak amid the number of children catching this contagious disease on an upward trend in Da Nang

As of mid-April, the city had recorded more than 260 cases of HFMD, 2.9 times higher than the figured documented the same period last year.

In line with the municipal administration’s regulations, heed should be paid to preventing cross-contamination amongst patients at medical establishments, especially to prevent cross-infection between hand-foot-mouth disease with measles, pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

Measures should be taken to implement patriotic hygiene activities, and ensure good environmental sanitation, hygienic eating and drinking.

Multi-media agencies are encouraged to prioritise publishing recommendations on hand-foot-mouth disease prevention.

The education and training sector should tell educational establishments, especially pre-schools, to have sufficient facilities for hand washing, perform classroom cleaning, and clean the surfaces of study desks and toys every day.

HFMD spreads through close contact, coughing and sneezing, or touching objects and surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus.

Children are susceptible to infection due to their lack of personal hygiene. They can get HFMD at all ages but children below 3 years are more susceptible, as they have not developed immunity against the virus.

The incubation period of HFMD is generally between three to seven days. Initial symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and sore throat. Sores will form in the mouth, and/or on the hands, feet, knees, elbows, buttocks, and sometimes the genitals.

Sores may look like small spots, bumps or blisters. Sores in the mouth can make eating and swallowing quite painful and consequently your child may refuse to eat and drink. First flat red or scaly patches will appear on the skin, which then develop into non-itchy blisters and will remain for about seven days.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG- Translating by A.T