KUALA LUMPUR: On the evening of the last Aidilfitri, the mother of a three-year-old girl noticed some reddish-dark spots appearing around her daughter's lips.
As the spots were only a few and her daughter did not show signs of pain and discomfort, the mother decided not to do anything about it.
However later into the night, the spots grew in number and also appeared around the girl's fingers and toes.
Worried, the parents of Nasha (not her actual name) took her to a private clinic.
"The doctor (general practitioner) told us that the spots could be due to an infection by Candida (a type of fungi) and gave us a cream to apply," says the girl's mother, who wishes to be known as Sheila.
However, more spots kept appearing and the girl started to develop a fever. This compelled the parents to rush Nasha to a hospital and doctors there diagnosed the girl with the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD).
On May 20 this year, the media reported that the occurrence of HFMD in Sarawak jumped some four times from the 213 cases reported last year to 806 cases.
The disease is caused by enterovirus, a type of virus that is present in the intestines. EV71 is among the dangerous types of enterovirus.
When infected, a person with HFMD can develop a fever with temperatures as high as 39 degrees and above. The enterovirus strain, EV71 was reported to have caused the death of 31 children in Sarawak in 1997.
HFMD is a contagious viral illness that commonly affects infants and children and there is no vaccine to prevent the disease.
"While there is no vaccine to prevent the disease, there are simple steps that people can take to reduce the risk of getting sick," explains paediatrician Dr L. Tan.
He says that HFMD usually causes fever, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. It mostly affects children younger than 10 years of age, but that does not mean that adults cannot get infected.
"It has no specific treatment and is moderately contagious. The infection risk can be reduced by practicing good hygiene, such as washing hands frequently," he says.
FEVER, POOR APETITE
Dr Tan says that the symptoms of HFMD usually begin with a fever, poor appetite, malaise (the feeling of being unwell) and often a sore throat.
A couple of days after the fever starts, painful sores can develop in the mouth. A skin rash with flat or raised red spots can also develop, usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and sometimes on the buttocks. This rash may blister, but will not itch.
However, he says that HFMD is usually not serious. "The illness is typically mild, and nearly all patients recover in seven to 10 days without medical treatment.
Complications are uncommon," he says, adding that a severely infected person may need to be hospitalised for a few days for the treatment of symptoms.
IS IT CONTAGIOUS?
Dr Tan says that HFMD is moderately contagious.
"The viruses that cause HFMD can be found in an infected person's nose and throat secretions such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus, blister fluid or feces.
"HFMD spreads from an infected person to others through close personal contact, coughing and sneezing or touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them.
"People with HFMD are most contagious during the first week of their illness. But, they can spread the virus that causes HFMD weeks after the symptoms have gone away.
That is because the virus can stay in the feces for weeks.
"It is also important to remember that people who get HFMD and show no symptoms of the disease can still spread the viruses that cause it," he says.
CHILDREN
He explains that HFMD mostly infects children younger than 10 years of age, but older children and adults can also get the disease.
People who get HFMD develop immunity to the specific virus that caused their infection.
However, because HFMD can be caused by several different viruses, people can get the disease again if they are infected by any of the other HFMD-causing viruses.
"There is no specific treatment for HFMD. Fever and pain can be managed with over-the-counter fever reducers/pain relievers, such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. In addition, people with HFMD should drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration (loss of body fluids)."
"There is no vaccine to protect against HFMD. However, the risk of getting the disease can be reduced by washing your hands often, especially after changing diapers, thoroughly cleaning objects and surfaces (such as toys and door handles) that may be contaminated with the virus that causes HFMD.
"You should avoid close contact with people who are infected," is Dr Tan's suggestion for a line of defence against the disease.
- Bernama
