Samut Prakan Kindergarten Shut Down After Outbreak

[george]

Samut Prakan kindergarten shut down after outbreak

SAMUT PRAKAN: -- An outbreak of hand-foot-and-mouth disease forced a kindergarten in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district to close for a week last month.

The first case was discovered in mid-June, when a pupil with symptoms of spots in the mouth and low fever was diagnosed with the disease. The kindergarten responded by informing parents and asking them to watch for symptoms, the school director said yesterday.

A week later, a second case emerged followed by about another 20 pupils with spots on their palms and appetite loss, said the director, who asked not to be named. The kindergarten then closed for a week to be thoroughly cleaned. It reopened on Tuesday with fully recovered pupils back in classes.

Another school located near the kindergarten has also been monitoring its students’ hygiene, temporarily suspending swimming activities and keeping parents informed.

Samut Prakan’s public health official, Dr Boonturm Tansurat, said the rainy season may have helped to accelerate the spread of the disease.

“Not only Samut Prakan, but other provinces have it too, on and off. We dispatched officials to inform schools about hand-foot-and-mouth disease prevention, telling them to separate the infected pupils from others,” he said. According to a public health leaflet, hand-foot-and-mouth disease is caused by various kinds of enteroviruses and is often found among infants and children younger than five. The disease can spread periodically throughout the year, particularly during the rainy season. It is contracted through contact with the mucus, saliva or faeces of those infected, the leaflet said.

Three to six days after infection, the infected suffer low fever, sore throat, appetite loss, spots on the tongue and gums, and spots on the palms and soles of the fee.

--The Nation 2005-07-01

[bina]

didnt they have this last year also?

we get it here too, and people come to get fresh goats milk straight from the teat to put on the mouth sores cause the kids/infants dont eat cause their mouth hurts!! that s the appetite loss....

it is NOT the hoof and mouth disease ruminants get

suing paper towels, liquid soap, disinfecting toys w/ bleach, and keeping sick kids at home help reduce infection...

not even news worthy, maybe the malaria and dengue fever have sizzled out, or maybe the gov. wants to distract with something else?

[mnoorsapl]

Samut Prakan kindergarten shut down after outbreak

“Not only Samut Prakan, but other provinces have it too, on and off. We dispatched officials to inform schools about hand-foot-and-mouth disease prevention, telling them to separate the infected pupils from others,”

--The Nation 2005-07-01

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it's going to be an outbreak, if the government not taking it seriuosly. why not alert at National level, instead of at the affected provinces.

[bina]

mn:

wake up!!

every country in the world gets this in every kindergarten and baby house... its very very common; the worst that happens is with infants that refuse to nurse or drink cause their mouth is sore; in which case they are i.v.'d for a day or two due to dehydration.... but with proper home care it doesnt usually get to this stage... we've all done this been there.... if your kids are in baby care/kindergartens....

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE CARRIED BY RUMINANTS it is an entorovirus (there are lots of them) that cause this

we have it every year on the kibbutz in the children's houses/baby houses... every year in the same months all the schools babble about this too here in israel

some doctors recommend using fresh (straight from th teat) goats milk as a mouth rinse (old wives tale thing); as i raise goats, we were told that ANY goats milk does help, pasteurized or other wise... other than that there is a gel that is used for teething babies that can be used on the sores to reduce pain so child will eat

give soft non flavoured foods (the thai sweet tapioca pearsl are great!!as they just slither down the throat and are healthy too); room temp. liquids, not too cold, not too hot, with infants we just use a syringe and give liquied (this way u know how many ml the baby is drinking); 'joke' w/o all the herbs and spices is good; ice pops;

some children btw are really prone and will get over and over again; some children never get it...

[mrbojangles]

I've never heard of this before. In the UK i've got 7 neices and nephews and not heard of them ever catching it. How long does it take to clear up? Is it one of those viruses that once had, never have again (like Chicken Pox etc.) ? If it's quite a common occurrence, why has it made the news?

Mr BoJ

[mnoorsapl]

don't know why the comparison to Israel, the issue is in Thailand. Definately the level of hygenic level is quite different.

[bina]

very common; u can get it again and again; the hygiene here is probably similar as is the heat, etc... anglo/americans seem to be more hygienically sterile and hysterical about cleanliness i.e. boiling things, sterilizing with various chemicals (chlorine based usually, etc)...

we are still more third world than the states or the u.k. and also i suspect the child rearing practices in kgartens etc ...

and it probably made the news cause someone on thaivisa chose to point it out as news it might be on a back page in thai newspaper; also they are doing the same thing we do which is prevent the infected child from attending school until a doctor permits the child to return to the playschool/kindergarten ; however , by the time a mother notices her child is drooling more than usual and has sores on lip/tongue/palms of hands/and or fever, the child has already infected the others... since most child caretakers dont wash hands between touching each child, wipe snot from its nose, rubbing a hand across a child's mouth to remove the drool, or child puts toy in mouth and puts on floor, other child crawls over and picks it up, etc...

my sister and mother were a bit horrified by our 'lack' of cleanliness/sterility , i think they are hysterical,

i've worked with preschool/kindergarten kids and know how difficult it is to keep sterile/hygienic which is why there are outbreaks of: ringworm(actually a fungus like crotch itch,athletes foot etc), pinworm, shegalla, giardia, lice, and various and sundry viruses...

u dont hear of them catching it cause its just an other pain in the butt disease that kids get but dont usually have to be hospitalized for; often, probably, misidentified (teething causes drooling, red in inner ear, slight fever, etc), impetigo also looks similar but more serious (get given antibiotics), plus some other similar things...with us, it seems to be more prevalent in fall and spring

when i saw thai school age kids wahsing the plates etc of the school in tubs of suds, and rinsed in cold water, that explained a lot of the stomach diseases etc...

i'd worry more abut the dengue fever that was in the news last week or before but suddenly has disappeared (from the news here on thaivisa); or malaria, etc....

Edited July 1, 2005 by bina

[bina]

for the doubtful one that doesnt believe my emperical info:

this from the CDC

Respiratory and Enteric Viruses

Branch

Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch Home

About Enteroviruses

•

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

•

Non-Polio Enterovirus Infections

•

Viral Meningitis

Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease

What is hand, foot, and mouth disease?

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness of infants and children. It is characterized by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. HFMD begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise ("feeling sick"), and frequently a sore throat. One or 2 days after the fever begins, sores develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. They are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days with flat or raised red spots, some with blisters. The rash does not itch, and it is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the buttocks. A person with HFMD may have only the rash or the mouth ulcers.

Is HFMD the same as foot-and-mouth disease?

No. HFMD is a different disease than foot-and-mouth disease of cattle, sheep, and swine. Although the names are similar, the two diseases are not related at all and are caused by different viruses.

What causes HFMD?

Several different viruses cause HFMD. The most common cause is coxsackievirus A16; sometimes, enterovirus 71 or other strains of

enteroviruses cause HFMD. The enterovirus group includes polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, and echoviruses.

Is HFMD serious?

Usually not. HFMD caused by coxsackievirus A16 infection is a mild disease and nearly all patients recover without medical treatment in 7 to 10 days. There are no common complications. Rarely, this illness may be associated with "aseptic" or viral meningitis, in which the person has fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain, and may need to be hospitalized for a few days. Another cause of HFMD, EV71 may also cause viral meningitis and, rarely, more serious diseases, such as encephalitis, or a poliomyelitis-like paralysis. EV71 encephalitis may be fatal. Cases of fatal encephalitis occurred during outbreaks of HFMD in Malaysia in 1997 and in Taiwan, 1998.

Is it contagious?

Yes, HFMD is moderately contagious. Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges or the stool of infected persons. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness. HFMD is not

transmitted to or from pets or other animals.

How soon will someone become ill after getting infected?

The usual period from infection to onset of symptoms is 3 to 7 days. Fever is often the first symptom of HFMD.

Who is at risk for HFMD?

HFMD occurs mainly in children under 10 years old, but adults may also be at risk. Everyone is susceptible to infection. Infection results in immunity to the specific virus, but a second episode may occur following infection with a different member of the enterovirus group.

When and where does HFMD occur?

Individual cases and outbreaks of HFMD occur worldwide, more frequently in summer and early autumn. In the recent past, major outbreaks of HFMD attributable to enterovirus 71 have been reported in some South East Asian countries (Malaysia in 1997, Taiwan, 1998).

How is HFMD diagnosed?

HFMD is one of many infections that result in mouth sores. Another common cause is oral herpesvirus infection, which produces an inflammation of the mouth and gums (sometimes called stomatitis). Usually, the physician can distinguish between HFMD and other causes of mouth sores based on the age of the patient, the pattern of symptoms reported by the patient or parent, and the appearance of the rash and sores on examination. A throat swab or stool specimen may be sent to a laboratory to determine which enterovirus caused the illness. Since the testing often takes 2 to 4 weeks to obtain a final answer, the physician usually does not order these tests.

How is HFMD treated? Can it be prevented?

No specific treatment is available for this or other enterovirus infections. Symptomatic treatment is given to provide relief from fever, aches, or pain from the mouth ulcers. Preventive measures include frequent handwashing, especially after diaper changes; disinfection of contaminated surfaces by household cleaners (such as diluted bleach solution made by mixing 1 capful of household bleach containing chlorine with 1 gallon water), and washing soiled articles of clothing. Children are often excluded from child care programs, schools, or other group settings during the first few days of the illness. These measures may reduce the spread of infection, but they will not completely interrupt it.

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i always double check my own knowlege before i post but the CDC just tells me what i already posted (here when u work with kids u have to go thru courses first )although i now work with animals