Infographic source: Positive
Parenting, Malaysia Paediatric Association
What is HFMD?
Hand,
foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is an infection caused by viruses from the
enterovirus group which includes enteroviruses, coxsackie viruses, echoviruses and polioviruses.
Among
these
viruses, enterovirus 71 (EV 71) and coxsackie virus A16 are the most common pathogens.
Who is at risk?
•Anyone can get HFMD.
•However, children younger than 5 years old are
most likely to get HFMD,
particularly those who attend childcare centers, nurseries and kindergartens.
•HFMD begins with symptoms
of fever,
feeling sick and
poor
appetite. One to two days later, painful ulcers develop in the mouth. Some
children have red spots developing on their palms or soles, which may turn into
blisters. This skin rash may sometimes occur on the knees, elbows or buttock of
the child. It is
usually
not itchy.
•Due to the poor appetite and painful
mouth ulcers, the child may refuse to drink and will be at risk of dehydration.
•In saying that, the symptoms
vary among infected children.
Some children
develop the typical signs and symptoms, others may just have the skin rash or
mouth ulcers,
whilst some infected
children experience no signs and symptoms at all .
How does HFMD spread?
•HFMD is a highly contagious disease. The viruses that
cause HFMD can be found in the nose and throat, fluid in the blisters and faeces of
an infected
person.
•The viruses spread from the infected
person to another through
•Coughing
or sneezing
•Close
contact
•Contact
with the blister fluid or faeces
•Sharing
of eating utensils or personal belongings such as towels, toothbrush
•Touching
of contaminated surfaces or objects, eg. toys
A person with HFMD is
most infectious during the first week of
contracting the illness.
contracting the illness.
How is HFMD diagnosed?
•Although specific laboratory tests to detect the viruses are available, HFMD is usually diagnosed clinically by looking at the signs and symptoms of the disease.
•Laboratory tests are not required in most
instances.
How
is HFMD treated?
•HFMD is treated symptomatically.
•Because of the fact that it is a viral
infection, there is no specific medication for the disease. The
infection usually resolves after 7-10 days when immunity develops in the body.
•Healthcare providers prescribe antipyretics
and pain
killers to manage
the
fever and pain in the mouth.
•It is important to
encourage the child
to
take up adequate fluids
during the course of illness.
How
to recognize the
symptoms of deterioration or when should I be concerned?
Rarely,
an infected person can develop viral meningitis or other severe infection
pertaining the heart or brain. If so,
the child may
experience these symptoms:
•Headache, giddiness or stiffness of the
neck
•Irritability, drowsiness or
disorientation
•Fits or abnormal jerky movements
•Fast breathing or turning blue
•Lethargy
A child
with HFMD demonstrating any of these symptoms needs
to be admitted to the hospital immediately.
Can
HFMD be prevented?
At
this moment, there are no specific medication or
vaccine
for
HFMD. Hence, prevention is important to
reduce
the
risk of getting it.
HFMD
can be prevented by these measures:
•Keep your hands clean by frequently
washing your
hands thoroughly, especially
after contacting
a
person with HFMD or soiled objects
•Avoid close contact with a person with
HFMD
•Avoid sharing of eating utensils or other
personal belongings
•Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth
after contact with a person with HFMD
•Keep your environment clean by frequent cleaning
and disinfect the frequently
touched areas when someone has HFMD
How
to keep other children safe?
Outbreaks
of HFMD has
commonly occurred in
childcare centers,
kindergartens and schools. If your child has HFMD, you can help to protect
other children from getting the same illness by:
•Informing the childcare center,
kindergarten or
school
•Isolate your child from childcare centers, kindergartens, school,
playgrounds and
other public places
•Keeping one’s belongings clean and not sharing eating
utensils or other personal belongings
Frequently disinfecting
frequently touched surfaces or objects with diluted bleach.
Ulasan
Catat Ulasan