HFMD Cases In Malaysia Have Increased 20 Times Since The Beginning Of The Year

There have been a total of 47,209 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), since the beginning of the year.

Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed that this was a 20-fold rise compared to last year.

The number of HFMD cases has increased by 106.6%t from the previous week, from 7,526 to 15,548. He noted in a statement on Tuesday (May 24th) that the majority of the cases (93%) were among children aged six and under, with only 6% among those aged seven to twelve.

Photo via Astro AWANI

Selangor had the highest number of infections (29.9%), followed by Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (13.1%), Perak (8.7%), Kelantan (7.9%), and Sabah (7.9%).

According to FMT, DG Hisham disclosed that the ministry has discovered three major types of viruses that causes HFMD, which are Coxsackie A16 (CA16), Coxsackie (CA6), and Enterovirus 71 (EV71).

“Two patients with HFMD tested positive for EV17 and are being treated in the ICU for brain inflammation. Both are children under the age of six,” he said.

Malaysia has reported a total of 1,168 outbreaks, with Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya having the largest number of outbreaks (413, or 35.4%), followed by Selangor (143, or 12.2%), and Perak (130, or 12.2%).

Most of the infections happened in nurseries, kindergartens, and preschools.

Oh no, it’s getting pretty bad. Guys, please be vigilant and teach your little ones good hygiene practices such as:

1. Washing hands with soap and water before and after eating and after going to the toilet.

2. Cover the mouth and nose with a piece of tissue when coughing or sneezing.

3. Avoid sharing food or drinks, eating utensils, toothbrushes, or towels with others.

4. Ensure that toys that are contaminated with nasal or oral secretions are disinfected before they are used again.

5. Putting on a face mask when feeling unwell. 

Stay safe!

By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat