Students wash their hands at Chaktomuk Primary School in Daun Penh district in February last year. POST STAFF
The Ministry of Health has urged vigilance regarding hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) after the recent small-scale detection of the viral infection.
HFMD is a mild viral infection that mainly affects infants and children.
Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, discomfort, loss of appetite, with a chicken pox-like rash developing later, which can develop into blisters.
It has been present in Cambodia since 2012 and is endemic around the world.
The ministry said on June 9 that daily follow-ups had found a small number of HFMD cases in certain provinces.
“Even though there are only a few cases, the ministry would like to remind all people to be vigilant with this infection. There is currently no treatment.
“HFMD is different from the foot and mouth disease [FMD] which occurs in cows. HFMD is not transmitted from pets and animals, but is caused by a group of enteroviruses. The most common is coxsackievirus, which leads to mild symptoms,” the ministry said.
However, HFMD can also be caused by Enterovirus 71 (EV-71), which can lead to more serious symptoms, it added.
According to the health ministry, HFMD is a communicable disease which transmits from one human to another via contact with saliva, mucus, pus from the blisters or stools.
“Patients without symptoms can transmit HFMD to others in the first week. So the ministry would like to remind and call on all citizens to increase their vigilance by strictly and consistently implementing good hygiene measures and washing hands frequently with soap and water,” the ministry said.
Chan Sieu Mey, whose young son in late May had blisters on his feet, said she was worried he had caught chickenpox, but after seeing doctor, this was ruled out.
“My son’s temperature was more than 38 degrees Celsius and he had blisters like chickenpox. But the doctor said he had HFMD. I was worried as he is so young,” she said.
According to the ministry, the first symptoms of HFMD are a fever, a decrease desire for food, tiredness and sore throat.
Itchy skin begins to appear within a day or two, with red spots and some blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or in the mouth, and sometimes on the buttocks or genitals.
