Hand, foot and mouth disease cases hit all-time high

A record-high number of children - 1,590 - came down with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) for the week ended April 28.

The number of infections diagnosed weekly has stayed above what is considered the 780-cases-a-week epidemic level for almost three months.

But although several children are warded at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), none of them is critically ill.

The HFMD strain now circulating in Singapore is a mild one, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Number of HFMD cases hit another high, 2 more schools close

Two more schools have been forced to close - just as the holidays started - because cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) have hit another high.

The Japanese Kindergarten in West Coast and the Metropolitan YMCA Child Care & Development Centre in Hougang each had more than 16 pupils fall sick over 24 days.

They were asked to close on Wednesday, and will reopen in two weeks. The development brings the number of schools currently shut to four.

Five childcare centres and two kindergartens are on the Ministry of Health watchlist, which means more than 10 pupils have become ill at each over 16 days.

Big jump in number of HFMD cases in Singapore

Two more childcare centres forced to close, another 10 on watchlist

Two childcare centres were on Friday forced to close for 10 days because of a rampant spread of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among its children.

Little Footies in Serangoon Gardens and Pat's Schoolhouse in Meyer Road are the latest among eight childcare centres and kindergartens ordered shut for this reason this year. Another 10 are on the watchlist.

The 1,119 children who came down with this viral illness last week was 50 per cent more than the 780-per-week number required for it to be considered an epidemic threat; last week's figure was almost four times higher than the last five years' median of 319 cases.

The 780 figure was crossed in the middle of last month, and the numbers have not stopped their upward march since

HFMD, which commonly affects children, can cause symptoms such as fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers and blisters on palms and feet. These last between four and five days, and a child will be well enough to return to school after nine days. There is no vaccine or medication to prevent or cure the viral infection.

An MOH spokesman told AsiaOne that the current epidemic stems from the Coxsackievirus - different from Enterovirus 71 (EV71). The more dangerous strain, EV71, can cause serious illness and was responsible for the death of a child here in 2008.

MOH stressed that it is most concerned when EV71 as it is known to be associated with potentially serious complications.

While the ministry's surveillance shows that the uptrend is not EV71-related, MOH says it will continue to monitor the situation.

Hand, foot and mouth disease on the rise

SINGAPORE: There has been a significant increase in the cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

Latest figures from the Ministry of Health show 815 new cases last week, up from the some 690 cases the previous week.

This brings the total number of cases this year to 3,457.

A childcare centre in Bedok -- Sunflower Childcare -- has had a few cases of HFMD over the past few days.

This got some parents concerned.

But most parents Channel NewsAsia spoke with said they are confident of the precautionary measures the childcare centre has in place.

So far, the Ministry of Health has identified five childcare centres with more than 10 HFMD cases and a transmission period of more than 16 days, as of February 22.

Childcare centres and kindergartens with more than 16 cases must be closed for 10 days.

Pat's Schoolhouse in Lim Ah Pin Road near Upper Serangoon is currently closed from 15 February 2012 to 24 February 2012.

Hui Clinic & Surgery family physician John Hui said he has seen at least 10 to 20 HFMD cases this month, a marked increase from what he saw in January.

"The coxsackieviruses as well as the other family of enteroviruses: Generally speaking, the [viruses] are very mild and self-limiting and the children, generally speaking, will recover by themselves," Dr Hui said.

"But in the past, there were some episodes when some children who were infected with the EV71 had more severe symptoms and some of them even died from the severity of the illness."

Doctors are advising parents to ensure their children practise personal hygiene by washing hands frequently and not sharing utensils and stationery.