According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC), the city recorded 1,673 cases in week 40, a 47.8 per cent increase from the preceding four-week average.
The total number of infections reached 38,463 from the beginning of the year to the end of week 40.
Con Dao Special Zone and the communes of Binh Khanh and Hiep Phuoc recorded some of the highest infection rates per 100,000 residents.
At Children's Hospital 1, 70 children are receiving inpatient treatment, including four severe cases. The hospital also sees around 100-120 outpatients with the disease each day.
Dr Du Tuan Quy, head of the hospital's Neuroinfectious Diseases Department, said approximately 42 per cent of patients came from HCM City, with the remainder arriving from other localities.
Children's Hospital 1 is treating 70 inpatients with hand, foot and mouth disease.
The disease typically causes rashes and blisters on the hands, feet, mouth, buttocks or elbows. However, symptoms can be subtle, particularly in young children.
Infants may develop fever, refuse feeds or drool because of mouth ulcers, sometimes accompanied by mild diarrhoea. These symptoms can be mistaken for teething.
Quy warned that the disease could deteriorate rapidly, with persistent high fever, sudden jerking during sleep, unusual irritability and excessive crying among the warning signs.
Such symptoms may indicate neurological complications requiring immediate medical attention, even at night.
In severe cases, the virus can affect the brainstem, potentially causing respiratory failure despite the child remaining conscious.
Quy also cautioned that children who do not attend nursery can still become infected, as some adults may carry the virus without showing symptoms.
He advised parents to maintain good hygiene after returning home, monitor potential exposure at school and avoid unnecessary travel with infected children.
Rashes and blisters are common symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease.
Respiratory infections complicate treatment
At Children's Hospital 2, the number of children seeking treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease has nearly doubled over the past two weeks.
Dr Vu Thi Thuy Duong, deputy head of the Infectious Diseases Department, said daily patient numbers had risen from around 20-30 to 40-50.
Most hospitalised children had grade 2A disease, while a smaller proportion had grade 2B, a more serious classification. No grade 3 or 4 cases had been admitted.
Around one-third of the hospital's patients came from outside HCM City.
Hand, foot and mouth disease cases at Children's Hospital 2 have nearly doubled in the past two weeks.
Duong said approximately 10-20 per cent of hospitalised children also showed respiratory infection symptoms, including coughing, runny noses and wheezing.
Although not all cases had been confirmed as influenza, simultaneous infections could cause prolonged fever, fatigue and poor appetite, making treatment and care more difficult.
Doctors advised parents to keep infected children away from school, limit contact with other children and closely monitor symptoms.
Children with persistent high fever, sudden jerking, unusual crying or other warning signs should receive prompt medical assessment.
Meanwhile, respiratory infections are also rising sharply across HCM City.
HCDC recorded 34,664 acute respiratory infection cases in the same week, up more than 64 per cent from the previous four-week average.
Of 151 influenza-positive samples, 116, or nearly 77 per cent, were identified as influenza A/H1N1 2009.
HCDC said it was maintaining respiratory disease surveillance at 29 healthcare facilities.
Residents were urged to wash their hands regularly, practise respiratory hygiene and wear masks when experiencing symptoms.
Health authorities also recommended annual influenza vaccination, particularly for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions.
