Hanoi reports increasing hand, foot and mouth cases

Hanoi has reported an increase in the number of hand, foot, mouth disease cases which is ravaging the southern region.

illustrative image

Over 1,600 hand, foot and mouth disease cases have been reported since early 2018, doubled last year's number. However, according to the Centre for Preventive Medicine in Hanoi, the number of hand, foot and mouth cases have been ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 in the past years. 4,000 cases were reported during the outbreak in 2011. Averagely, Hanoi has about 30-50 new cases every week.

A month ago, there were only three to four patients went to Vietnam-Cuba Hospital every week but it has increased to ten patients. Due to increasing number of patients, those with light symptoms are given medicines and stay home.

Vietnam National Hospital of Paediatrics has received over 200 cases since early 2018, 10 of which have EV71 virus.

The Ministry of Health announced that 11,000 more hand, foot, and mouth disease cases had been reported from September 26 to October 1, raising the total number to 53,500. About 26,000 children have been hospitalised and six died across five provinces and cities.

In 2011, over 113,000 children were infected and 170 died because of EV71 virus.

The Pasteur Institute in HCM City shows that 25% of the samples they took in the past two months have EV71 virus while it was only 1% in the first six months of the year. This pattern is similar to the 2011 outbreak when 32% of the samples in the first six months of the year had EV71 virus but surged to 56% in the next months.

There are currently no vaccines to protect against both dengue fever and hand, foot, and mouth disease. The public is advised to take precautionary measures and go to doctors upon noticing the symptoms.