Since April this year, there has been an increase in the number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases among Malaysian children.
HFMD is a notifiable disease and the number of cases is closely monitored by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia. In fact, official reports from MOH claim there is an almost 30 percent increase in cases compared to last year. According to a statement by the Director General of Health, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, more than 40,000 cases have been reported nationwide so far. Every week, 73 new cases are reported nationwide, according to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
HFMD is a highly contagious disease that is caused by viruses from the enterovirus group, namely the Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus 71 (EV71). However, this year there has been an increase in the number of cases from the EV71 virus. Those who have been infected by a particular strain may develop immunity towards it but they may still contract HFMD caused by other strains of viruses. It remains a myth that you can only develop HFMD once in a lifetime.
This story is from the September 2018 edition of Health Today Malaysia.
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This story is from the September 2018 edition of Health Today Malaysia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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