Hand-feet- mouth disease spreads to rural areas

Several local schools closed days earlier than the set date for the start of the Easter break due to a recent outbreak of human hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) affecting some of the learners.
Naledzani Rasila, Head of Communications at the Department of Education said the Department of Health deals with the disease in schools. He is aware that many schools have closed prior to the official school holidays to prevent further contamination.
Derick Kganyago, Spokesperson for the Department of Health said many of the closures were pro-active, and schools could have waited, for the schools were about to close for the holidays anyway.
The disease has reportedly also spread to rural areas like Ga- Sekgopo and Modjadjis­kloof and people are alarmed because they do not know about the disease and what causes it. Kganyago said it definitely cannot be described as an outbreak, as there are not that many confirmed cases.
HFMD is an illness that causes sometimes painful sores in or on the mouth, hands, feet, and sometimes buttocks and legs. It is caused by the enterovirus and is common in children although it can also affect adults. It is not the same as other diseases that have similar names: foot-and-mouth disease (sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease) or mad cow disease which almost always occur in animals.
The incubation period from when a person was contaminated with the virus is usually three to six days. Some people may have no visible symptoms while others clearly do. The disease is more active during summer and due to the schools having closed for the holidays may show a lower incidence thereafter.
The illness usually begins with a fever and a nasty rash and even small blisters in the mouth. Moderate fever may delay diagnosis but the child can be tired and irritated with loss of appetite as a result of a sore throat and blisters which later may even spread to the tongue. After another day or two there can be red dots and blisters on the palms of the hands as well as on the soles of the feet, and even on the buttocks, knees and elbows.
There is no vaccination against hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Thorough washing of the hands can curb the spread of the disease as it spreads mostly through touching others with the disease. There’s no treatment, so go for prevention.
The virus lives in the saliva. Make sure kids don’t put objects, especially shared objects like pencils, in their mouths and stress that they need to eat their own lunch, not anyone else’s. Wash the patient’s eating utensils separate from that of other family members.
Keep the patient hydrated by feeding him lots of water and other fluids, but not orange juice which can burn the mouth. Softer food such as yoghurt, custard and jelly may be preferred. Do not feed bananas, as it contains an enzyme which can irritate the open blisters. Do not irritate or break the blisters, as it may cause infection.
Kganyago said the department dispatched their outbreak team to the rural area of Ga -Sekgopo to educate people on the disease. He also advised parents to visit their local clinics when their children start showing signs of the virus.
“Parents are advised to keep infected children from contact with other children as the virus is highly contagious through contact,” he advised.

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com