Precautions against HFM Disease taken in Singapore kindergartens, nursery schools

Channel NewsAsia 3 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Thursday said he is worried about the different strains of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). He is especially concerned about the EV71 strain.

"With EV71, children can die if it is not detected early. So I think we should take this seriously," he said.

But whichever HFMD strain it may be, Mr Khaw said his ministry is taking the situation seriously and is watching developments closely.

Kindergartens and nursery schools have been taking precautions, with teachers conducting regular checks on their students to see if they are showing symptoms of the disease.

As part of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, any pupil who shows symptoms will be isolated from others while waiting to be sent home.

HFMD is a common childhood disease spread through direct contact with body fluids or excretions such as saliva or faeces.

Young children, particularly those aged less than five years, are the most susceptible. - CNA/ac

Worry over HFMD strain
Straits Times 4 Apr 08;

THE higher number of people infected this year with a potentially lethal strain of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) - known as Enterovirus 71 (EV 71) - is worrying Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan.

He said: 'When it is not EV 71, while it is a nuisance, it seldom causes death. But with EV 71, children can die if it is not detected early. So we should take this seriously.'

An outbreak of EV 71 in 2000 and 2001 killed more than 70 kids in Asia, including seven here.

So far this year, 4,423 people have contracted HFMD. The Health Ministry sounded the alarm last week when it noticed a 'higher' than usual number of patients coming down with the EV 71 strain, but did not go public with the figure.

Mr Khaw urged parents to be alert for the symptoms - fever, sore throat, and rashes or blisters on the hands and feet.

He also urged them to keep unwell children away from school.

'There is no vaccine, there is no cure, so the key strategy is still prevention,' said the minister, who spoke to reporters yesterday after watching a preview of a television documentary on renowned plague physician, Dr Wu Lien-Teh.