The hand, foot, and mouth disease has sounded the alarm in Ho Chi Minh City with up to 640 new cases reported in the last week of September, the highest since early this year.

The city has seen a total of 6,358 hand, foot, and mouth disease cases in all 24 districts since the beginning of this year, according to the municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Notably, 640 new cases were recorded in the last week of September alone, the highest weekly count in 2020.

Districts that documented a sharp increase in infections during the week include District 9, District 12, Tan Phu District, and Binh Chanh District.

“This is an alarming figure and we must apply preventive measures to stop the disease,” the center said.

According to health experts, hand, foot, and mouth disease is usually caused by enterovirus. At present, there are no vaccines to protect against the illness.

Body fluids, including nasal mucus, saliva, as well as blister fuilds, feces, and vomit of the infected are the main sources of transmission.

The risks of transmission are high at places with many children such as kindergartens or nurseries. As the new school year has just started, the city may face a possible outbreak.

To protect children, parents are advised to follow food safety guidelines and keep their kids away from infected or suspected cases.

For kids with symptoms such as a persistent high fever, sleep disorders, convulsions, dyspnea, unstable walks, vomiting or pale skin, going to the hospital for treatment is the best solution to avoid complications.

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