According to the Hanoi Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Hanoi recorded three new hand, foot and mouth disease outbreaks at three nursery schools over the past week, raising the city’s total number of patients to 77 in the week.
So far this year, Hanoi has recorded 300 hand, foot and mouth disease patients, up 75 from the same period last year.
The Ministry of Health reported that the country saw 6,700 hand, foot and mouth disease cases in the first three months of this year, double the same period of 2023.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral illness caused by enteroviruses. The peak period for the disease infection often occurs from March to May and from August to September every year.
Dr Nguyen Van Lam, Director of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that if not treated appropriately, the disease can cause severe complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, circulatory failure.
The Hanoi CDC recommended that relevant agencies closely monitor and early detect and effectively handle clusters of cases, especially at health stations, preschools, and elementary schools, in order to prevent the virus spreading across the wider community.
