ALOR STAR: Nine childcare centres and pre-schools have been ordered to temporarily cease operations while four other have voluntarily suspended operations following the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak here.
The orders to close were issued under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
State Health and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman said the accumulative number of HFMD cases in Kedah has soared to 2,225 since early this year.
"Kedah recorded an increase of 790 cases of HFMD from May 15 to 20.
"However, all reported cases only involved mild symptoms, and the infected children were given outpatient treatment as no cases had severe complications or required intensive treatment," he said in a statement today.
Dr Hayati said the number of HFMD cases recorded since January to date was almost double the number reported in the corresponding period in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that Kuala Muda district continued to record the highest number of cases with 509 followed by Kubang Pasu (361) Kota Setar (299) and Kulim (207).
Since early this year, 40 outbreaks of HFMD had been reported in the state of Kedah, with 39 of them occurring in children's education centres which have been ordered to temporarily or voluntarily closed for sanitation and infection prevention purposes.
HFMD is caused by infection with various types of viruses, especially the Coxsackie A16 virus and Enterovirus 71 (EV71).
The virus is known to spread through contact via saliva, blisters, and faeces and the majority of infections show mild symptoms such as fever followed by a blistering rash on the hands, feet, mouth, and tongue.
Almost all patients with HFMD recover without the need for specific treatment within seven to 10 days.
However, EV71 infection can cause severe complications such as encephalitis (brain infection), pneumonitis (lung infection), and myocarditis (heart muscle infection).
The Kedah Health Department had advised the public, especially those with young children, to take the precautions to reduce the risk of infection, including maintaining personal hygiene and washing hands regularly, with water and soap or hand sanitiser.
Furthermore, parents should avoid sending children who show symptoms or signs of infection to a childcare centre or school, bring their children to the nearest clinic or hospital if they have signs or symptoms of infection (especially fever and rash on hands, feet, and mouth), and to avoid bringing children to crowded public places such as swimming pools, markets, shopping malls, and markets.
Operators of childcare and education centres are urged to perform inspections or health screening at the entrance and to perform disinfection on contaminated surfaces on their premises.
