553 percent spike in Kelantan Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Kelantan has recorded a 553 percent increase in the number of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) cases, or 1,548 cases between January and early this month, as compared to only 237 cases in the same period last year.

Kelantan Health Department director Dr Zaini Hussin said of the total, the majority of cases involved children aged between one and four or 75.8 percent.

"Some 87.9 percent of the reported cases involved children aged six and below," he said in a statement yesterday.

Zaini said 18 outbreaks of HFMD had been declared between January and May compared to only one outbreak in the corresponding period last year.

“Outbreaks mostly occurred in kindergartens and nurseries,” he added.

In Johor, a total of 640 cases of HFMD had been recorded in the state during the 18th Epidemiology Week (EW, which ended on May 7).

State Health and Unity Committee chairperson Ling Tian Soon said the number jumped 6.8-fold compared with the corresponding EW last year, which recorded only 94 cases.

“In Johor, most cases of HFMD involved children aged below one to six years, namely 614 cases or 96 percent followed by the age group of seven to 12 years (22 cases or three percent) and the rest are over 13 years old,” Ling said.

- Bernama