Thailand Remains On Alert For Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Outbreak

[webfact]

Kingdom remains on alert for disease outbreak

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Cambodia's epidemic of hand, foot and mouth disease appears to have passed the critical point and is now under control, but Thailand remains on alert for further cases, Bureau of Epidemiology director Dr Pasakorn Akarasewi said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the elementary level at Satit Chula demonstration school in central Bangkok has closed, starting from today. A press conference will be held at 1pm to announce details.

Dr Pasakorn said the outbreak in Cambodia should decline within 45 days and that the illness had been found in Thailand among primaryschool students. About 13,000 children in Thailand have been infected with HFMD, and the figure might reach 18,000 this year.

In Cambodia, more than 50 children have died from the disease, and according to the World Health Organisation, the cause of death has been a severe form of HFMD related to enterovirus 71, which is seen in many countries around the globe.

Rayong publichealth chief Dr Kris Palasut said HFMD in Thailand was of the Coxsackie strain, which is less severe.

In Thailand, the outbreak has occurred in nurseries and kindergartens, mainly in the Central and Northeast regions, with some in the North and South. Most patients are children of three to five years of age, but symptoms have also been found in some children older than five.

Pasakorn said the Epidemiology Bureau was speeding up measures for disease control and prevention. Clear guidance for setting up a provincial centre to monitor HFMD will be given to ensure further cooperation.

Mae Hong Song publichealth chief Dr Paisarn Tanyawinijkul said: "Parents should advise their children to wash their hands often. As for schools, if they find more than five students coming down with the HFMD in a class, the class must be suspended. If there are more than five such classes, the school should be closed down temporarily."

In Rayong, Kris said he had asked employers to cooperate on the temporary ban on Cambodian workers from visiting home.

"If they go to Cambodia and come back around this time, they may return with enterovirus 71," he said. "The employers have agreed to provide cooperation."

According to a Cambodian news website, China, which has also had HFMD outbreaks, has sent a medical team to Cambodia to help control the spread of the disease. Also, the daughter of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has donated US$300,000 (Bt9.5 million) to a children's hospital in Phnom Penh to help HFMD patients.

-- The Nation 2012-07-17

[Jayman]

It would be nice if the symptoms to look for in our kids was mentioned.

[Hostile17]

they copy paste from the govt release, to add symptoms they'd need to copy paste an other source.

Edited July 17, 2012 by Hostile17

[Bourne1974]

Symptoms of HFMD include: Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand,_foot_and_mouth_disease

• Fever
  
• Headache
  
• Vomiting
  
• Fatigue
  
• Malaise
  
• Referred ear pain
  
• Sore throat
  
• Painful oral, nasal, or facial lesions, ulcers or blisters
  
• body rash, followed by sores with blisters on palms of hand, soles of feet, and sometimes on the lips. The rash is rarely itchy for children, but can be extremely itchy for adults ^[3]
  
• Sores or blisters may be present on the buttocks of small children and infants
  
• Irritability in infants and toddlers
  
• Loss of appetite.
  
• Diarrhea
  

The common incubation period (the time between infection and onset of symptoms) is from three to seven days.

Early symptoms are likely to be fever often followed by a sore throat. Loss of appetite and general malaise may also occur. Between one and two days after the onset of fever, painful sores (lesions) may appear in the mouth or throat, or both. A rash may become evident on the hands, feet, mouth, tongue, inside of the cheeks, and occasionally the buttocks (but generally, the rash on the buttocks will be caused by the diarrhea).

[Orac]

So this article is quoting a senior healthcare expert as saying:

Rayong publichealth chief Dr Kris Palasut said HFMD in Thailand was of the Coxsackie strain, which is less severe.

Yet the other topic running today states:

The HFMD found in the country were commonly caused by Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackie virus A16 which are not severe virus carriers, Dr Yong explained.

Yet, the ongoing disease in the country was caused by Coxsackie Virus A6 and Enterovirus 71 C4, which are the same strains found in neighbouring Cambodia, as well as Enterovirus 71 B5.

[blueshark]

Great, as if we didn't have enough to worry about..... next!!!!

[PingManDan]

It would be nice if the symptoms to look for in our kids was mentioned.

I agree, or better yet what precautions to take, etc. etc. etc. etc.?

[Pinot]

Google:

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a human syndrome caused by intestinal viruses of the picornaviridae family. The most common strains causing HFMD are coxsackie A virus and enterovirus 71 (EV-71).^[1]

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months. The usual incubation period is 3–7 days.

It is less common in adults, but those with immune deficiencies are very susceptible. HFMD is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), which is a separate disease affecting sheep, cattle, and swine (both are caused by members of the picornaviridae family, but are not trans-communicable between humans and livestock).

There is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. Individual symptoms, such as fever and pain from the sores, may be eased with the use of analgesics. HFMD is a viral disease that has to run its course; many doctors do not prescribe medicine for this illness. Infection in older children, adolescents, and adults is typically mild and lasts approximately 1 week, occasionally longer. Fever reducers and luke-warm baths can help bring temperature down.

Only a very small minority of sufferers require hospital admission, mainly as a result of uncommon neurological complications (encephalitis, meningitis, or acute flaccid paralysis) or pulmonary edema/pulmonary hemorrhage.

[Jayman]

My 4 1/2 year old came home sick from school last week and spread sickness to the 7 month and myself. Both the baby and myself have had a fever. The baby had other symptoms and when we took him to hospital the bloodwork came back ok. No clue if they are checking for HFMD or not. My fever broker after few days as did the baby but now the 4 1/2 year old has the fever. Personally I think it's just a common flue. I have body aches and 102 fever for a few days. Also, lung congestion and such.

Seeing this headline made me a bit concerned.

[Orac]

My 4 1/2 year old came home sick from school last week and spread sickness to the 7 month and myself. Both the baby and myself have had a fever. The baby had other symptoms and when we took him to hospital the bloodwork came back ok. No clue if they are checking for HFMD or not. My fever broker after few days as did the baby but now the 4 1/2 year old has the fever. Personally I think it's just a common flue. I have body aches and 102 fever for a few days. Also, lung congestion and such.

Seeing this headline made me a bit concerned.

There is a bit of this going around at the moment. My daughter was of school sick most of last week with a fever and both me and my wife caught it off her - sounds the same as you had. The HFMD is something seperate I think.

[hawker9000]

It would be nice if the symptoms to look for in our kids was mentioned.

I agree, or better yet what precautions to take, etc. etc. etc. etc.?

Based on the info right here in the thread already, 'sure sounds like frequent (and meticulous) hand-washing would be in order. And maybe keeping the hand sanitizer handy. If kids are involved though, unless you keep them home from school, there may not be too much you can do unless they're old enough to understand the need to keep their hands clean & away from their face.

[Ripple]

Yeah, washing your hands is a dandy idea...especially if you use soap! Thais have an unclean habit of sharing the same glasses and plates while eating and drinking. They say it makes them feel warm. I guess getting a fever qualifies as warm.

[fishhooks]

For a country as advanced as Thailand, there is really not enough attention given to washing one's hands.

Can only speak of men's washrooms, but so often seen employees of food establishments in malls etc leaving the room directly from the toilet facilities.

[jomtienbob]

It would be nice if the symptoms to look for in our kids was mentioned.

I agree, or better yet what precautions to take, etc. etc. etc. etc.?

Based on the info right here in the thread already, 'sure sounds like frequent (and meticulous) hand-washing would be in order. And maybe keeping the hand sanitizer handy. If kids are involved though, unless you keep them home from school, there may not be too much you can do unless they're old enough to understand the need to keep their hands clean & away from their face.

Get a good child friendly sanitizer like DEZAVID and get the kids to wash their hands with it frequently. Adults touch their face about 18 times an hour on average and kids do so much more frequently than that. Tertiary transmission of these type of viruses are much more prevalent among young kids than anyone.

[mrjohndub]

Hmmm...can't seem to quote the OP, but here goes:

[[[in Rayong, Kris said he had asked employers to cooperate on the temporary ban on Cambodian workers from visiting home.

"If they go to Cambodia and come back around this time, they may return with enterovirus 71," he said. "The employers have agreed to provide cooperation."]]]

lol. They must be really sacrificing, these employers, to prohibit...whoops...I mean cooperate to bar those sneaky Cambodians from venturing home. Jai dee mak mak!

[Dap]

Symptoms of HFMD include: Source http://en.wikipedia....d_mouth_disease

• Fever
  
• Headache
  
• Vomiting
  
• Fatigue
  
• Malaise
  
• Referred ear pain
  
• Sore throat
  
• Painful oral, nasal, or facial lesions, ulcers or blisters
  
• body rash, followed by sores with blisters on palms of hand, soles of feet, and sometimes on the lips. The rash is rarely itchy for children, but can be extremely itchy for adults ^[3]
  
• Sores or blisters may be present on the buttocks of small children and infants
  
• Irritability in infants and toddlers
  
• Loss of appetite.
  
• Diarrhea
  

The common incubation period (the time between infection and onset of symptoms) is from three to seven days.

Early symptoms are likely to be fever often followed by a sore throat. Loss of appetite and general malaise may also occur. Between one and two days after the onset of fever, painful sores (lesions) may appear in the mouth or throat, or both. A rash may become evident on the hands, feet, mouth, tongue, inside of the cheeks, and occasionally the buttocks (but generally, the rash on the buttocks will be caused by the diarrhea).

Thank you Bourne1974

[Dap]

Google:

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a human syndrome caused by intestinal viruses of the picornaviridae family. The most common strains causing HFMD are coxsackie A virus and enterovirus 71 (EV-71).^[1]

HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens, usually during the summer and autumn months. The usual incubation period is 3–7 days.

It is less common in adults, but those with immune deficiencies are very susceptible. HFMD is not to be confused with foot-and-mouth disease (also called hoof-and-mouth disease), which is a separate disease affecting sheep, cattle, and swine (both are caused by members of the picornaviridae family, but are not trans-communicable between humans and livestock).

There is no specific treatment for hand, foot and mouth disease. Individual symptoms, such as fever and pain from the sores, may be eased with the use of analgesics. HFMD is a viral disease that has to run its course; many doctors do not prescribe medicine for this illness. Infection in older children, adolescents, and adults is typically mild and lasts approximately 1 week, occasionally longer. Fever reducers and luke-warm baths can help bring temperature down.

Only a very small minority of sufferers require hospital admission, mainly as a result of uncommon neurological complications (encephalitis, meningitis, or acute flaccid paralysis) or pulmonary edema/pulmonary hemorrhage.

Thank you Pinot.

[BigSkip]

Thanks for all the info, I never knew.....!

[Jayman]

US Embassy just sent out a warning email on this. Glad to see they at least included the symptoms to watch for....

HFMD usually starts with a fever, loss of appetite, and may involve a sore throat. Within a day or two, painful sores develop in the mouth, starting as small red spots that form blisters and which can pop and then form small ulcers. These occur over the tongue, gums and inside the mouth. Also during this time period, a rash occurs, occasionally with blisters, over the palms and soles. If your child becomes ill with these symptoms, we recommend conferring with your usual medical provider.

They also list this link for more info on this type of virus

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/non-polio_entero.htm

Edited July 19, 2012 by Jayman

[pbvillage]

Do we encourage young children to wash their hands as often as possible ? Probably not a bad habit to get into anyway.