HFMD still at epidemic level in S'pore

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Friday, 27 August 2010

Xinhua

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continued to spread in Singapore, with the number crossing the 1,000 mark last week for the first time this year, local daily The Straits Times reported Thursday.

Last week, 1,261 children were diagnosed with the disease, up from 982 the week before. The number of cases has been at or above the epidemic threshold of 679 cases a week for the last eight weeks.

Cumulatively this year, 20,249 children have come down with this usually mild childhood infection, almost twice the annual norm seen in the last five years.

Of this number, 259 or 1.3 percent of the children have needed hospitalization.

So far, the majority of cases have been mild, the Health Ministry said.

So far, no child has developed brain damage or died from HFMD caused by the more serious enterovirus 71 (EV 71) strain of the virus, but the Health Ministry is concerned it is circulating here.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-08/26/c_13463608.htm

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